2D Felt - The Leap to Mixed Media

Woolly Lilies

I've been experimenting some more with 2 dimensional felt over the summer. I wanted to try more abstract shapes and images as well as surface techniques. In "Woolly Lilies" I used resists to lift the flowers and leaves off the surface as well as adding silk and mohair on the surface. I liked the result but was once again faced with the challenge of how to mount it. As I've talked about in other 2 dimensional felt posts I've tried a number of different approaches with more or less success. 

Detail - Woolly Lilies

In this one I decided to create a painted canvas that incorporated mixed media and ended up using wool, silk, thread, acrylic paint, rice paper as well as different glosses and gels to create a rich surface texture. And ... suddenly I realized that I should be thinking about a unified mixed media piece rather than something to support the felt. After adding wool into the paint (a very tricky process - it either looks great or like something hauled out of a bathtub drain) I added the diagonal stitches across both surfaces. Together, they tie the canvas and felt into a single integrated piece. I can't wait to try some more but with school ramping up, it will be a while - darn.

Art criticism - for the birds!

Relaxing in the shade and hauling out water colours is one of my favourite vacation activities after a hot morning at the beach. Fred and Franny Farkle, the resident mynah birds, took particular interest in pieces that I hung to dry. Apparently everyone is an art critic!