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Tawney in her Coenties Slip studio, 1958. Photo by David Attie.

Tawney in her Coenties Slip studio, 1958. Photo by David Attie.

Tawney in her Chicago studio, 1957. Photo by Aaron Siskind.

Tawney in her Chicago studio, 1957. Photo by Aaron Siskind.

Tawney in her Coenties Slip studio, 1958. Photo by David Attie.

Tawney in her Coenties Slip studio, 1958. Photo by David Attie.

Tawney with Shadow River, 1959. Photo © Yousuf Karsh.

Tawney with Shadow River, 1959. Photo © Yousuf Karsh.

Tawney in her Spring Street studio, ca. 1971. Photo by Edward Pieratt.

Tawney in her Spring Street studio, ca. 1971. Photo by Edward Pieratt.

Left: Tawney in her South Street studio, 1959. Photo © Yousuf Karsh. Right: Tawney with The Crossing, 1998. Photo by George Erml.

Left: Tawney in her South Street studio, 1959. Photo © Yousuf Karsh. Right: Tawney with The Crossing, 1998. Photo by George Erml.

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Lenore Tawney (1907 - 2007) was an American artist known for her groundbreaking work in fiber as well as for her drawings, collages, and assemblages.

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Elementary classroom.

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T he abstract sculpture that Judith Scott crafted over the course of her fifteen-year career in the studios of Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, are composed of found materials encased and interwoven, in yarn and other fibers, most commonly. Unlike the work of other artists at Creative Growth (such as William Scott), the work that Judith Scott made does not invite a conversation about the artist's biography. When exhibited, the works are intriguing yet hermetic. This is in part because Scott intended an audience of one: - herself. Her visually and tangibly rich constructions, even those in which found objects are clearly visible, do not invite narrative or metaphorical readings. But, because Scott was an artist with developmental disabilities, the standard critical discourse has tended to prioritize a fascination with the story of the maker over a formal interest in the objects themselves.

The artist complicates curatorial decisions in fascinating ways.

Unlike most artists, Scott had Down syndrome, was deaf and largely mute, and was institutionalized for more than thirty-five years before becoming an artist.But she was also unusual in that she was solely interested in the making of her objects: the activity of gathering her raw materials and the intensive and lengthy development of each enigmatic sculpture. Many people who were lucky enough to witness her creative process describe her working at the same table in the studio at Creative Growth, focusing on a single piece at a time, sometimes for weeks or months, before pushing a work away with a resolute gesture of completion.The life of the things she produced, once she was done with them, did not engage her. Nor was she interested in the reception of her work by the larger world. She did not revisit or express interest in works she had finished, but if she saw one exhibited at the gallery at Creative Growth, she was known to offer it an affectionate wave or pat of acknowledgment.

The yarns and other materials she favored came to Creative Growth from various sources, and her selection of these items reflected not only the pragmatism of using what was on offer but also clear preferences for particular colors, combinations of hues, and favored textures. Scott had teachers who guided her early creative development, and while her material choices were informed by those interactions, her work emerged from a purely internal dialogue.

As noted, Scott typically incorporated found objects into her sculptures. They are often visible in the final work; -a table fan, a crutch, and a shopping cart were hard even for Scott to disguise. Other items including keys, a pilfered paycheck, an electric coil from a stove are completely submerged within the works. However, her attraction to, or the significance of, the things she scavenged and salvaged remains hard for a viewer to parse without falling into a quicksand of pop psychological speculation.

Scott did not title or sign her works. She left no notes, sketches, or recorded ideas revealing the thinking behind her making. She gave no interviews. She never noted favorite pieces, nor did she single out any with particular significance, such as a work, that might represent a breakthrough in her creative process. She didn't acknowledge the influence of artists or of art history. The artist's unknown and unknowable intentions complicate curatorial decisions in fascinating ways. While photographs that document Scott working in the studio confirm her single-minded devotion to her craft and her sense of humor, they offer few clues for the presentation of her work; in many cases, not even an orientation for placing them on a pedestal is known for sure. While curators regularly make aesthetic decisions about installing works of art, such choices can quickly seem arbitrary and even heavy-handed in the case of an artist who resolutely did not care about such matters.

This curatorial hand-wringing over seemingly simple display decisions occurs because one of the most significant challenges in presenting the work of an artist whose voice was sharply circumscribed by her life experience is to avoid adding complicating layers of interpretation that can calcify into a narrative fable. The inclination to prioritize biography is not uncommon when one looks at work by artists with disabilities. The history of outsider, visionary, or artists-three largely interchangeable terms by which artists with disabilities have been inadequately categorized-has emphasized the dramatic life narratives of these artists. When it comes to the art of Judith Scott, the vacuum of uncertainty concerning the intention of the artist is readily filled with her story, which fosters projections and metaphorical readings that easily detract from what she created.

Judith Scott is specifically contemporary and particularly urgent

The push to bridge art-historical silos and to position outsider artists within the mainstream often requires shifting the one's focus away from artists' biographies in order to contextualize their creative contributions. Another timely approach to curatorial thinking prioritizes the acknowledgment and description of difference as a means to expand and enrich the canon. Recognizing Scott's life experiences while guarding against a reductive reading of her work places Scott squarely within the current dialogue of identity politics in the field of contemporary art. Feminist artists, artists of color, queer and LGBT artists, and all any artists who in some way choose to incorporate or address issues of personal identity in their work, have participated in changing the art-historical landscape in recent decades. Scott's work is a complex case study in considering the implications of these methodologies.

The 1970s feminist adage, "the personal is political," aptly summarizes the urgent desire of artists and activists, in the face of a dominant and monolithic formalism, to acknowledge the intersections between life, art, and the political structures that all people live within. With this lens, one's lived experience is a necessary component of art rather than a reductive limitation that reduces it, as has so often been the case of artists with disabilities. The fact that Scott's work is so readily situated within current conversations about abstraction, biography, and social politics makes the point-if it needed to be made at all-that Judith Scott's complex artistic voice is specifically contemporary and particularly urgent.

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Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the go-to place to learn first-hand from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, Art21's mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists.

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The Weaving Loom | The Modern Lap Loom Weaver's Resource

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If you are new to weaving and need help getting started, then you're in the right place!

Hi, I'm Kate. I'm the person behind this blog. Back when I started trying to weave, there weren't many resources available. I put a lot of time into researching old books and experimenting and wanted to share what I had learned. Weaving is such a fun and meaningful art form that I wanted it to be available to others to enjoy too. I started The Weaving Loom as a way to share weaving techniques that I have learned through my experiences.

This blog post is a round-up of a lot of the topics I've covered over the years. Especially the topics that are important to beginner's.
Terminology
Let's start from the beginning!

A Loom is the structure that you use to give your weave support and tension as you work. There are a few different types of looms and my blog focuses on how to use a lap loom.

The warp thread is the thread that is strung over the loom vertically, and holds the tension while you weave. This is the backbone of your weave.

The weft thread is the thread that you weave between, around, and all over the warp threads. It creates your patterns and design in the weave.

These are the most important terms for understanding weaving, but I have pictures and a few more weaving terms here.
Lap Looms
Of course you'll need a loom to start weaving. If you already have a lap loom, then great! Any of my tutorials can work on any lap loom. If you're having trouble understanding how to do something on your specific loom then feel free to reach out to me and I'll help the best I can ( Kate@theweavingloom.com). If you don't yet have a loom, then no problem. I have two ways to make your own loom:
Weaving Tools
When starting out it is hard to know what tools you do and don't need, and trust me you don't need much. I've written on some of the basic weaving tools and some alternatives that might be in your home right now. I'm also including some of the yarn supplies I love.
Warping a loom (starting)
Now you're really getting somewhere. I have a few posts on how to warp different looms. There are many different looking lap looms, but in my experience they warp up in one of two ways:

Weaving Techniques

This is the fun part of weaving! All the beauty and creativity go here, this is where you make your magic. I have posted on a bunch on weaving techniques and have already made a round-up of just the techniques here.
I also have a free beginner's pattern that I send out when you sign up for my weekly newsletter and I made a Weave Along of fun lacy patterns, that you can follow along here.

And I hope you won't need this, but incase you do, here's my Top 7 Weaving Issues & Fixes
Finishing your weave (taking off the loom)
Now that you created something beautiful and unique to you, it's time to take it off the loom so you can share it with the world. I have posted a lot of different ways to finish your weaves, whether you're cutting your weave off the loom or using your warp loops to hang.

Whoa, that's a lot of info! Hopefully you've made it to the bottom of this post. This will definitely get you started on your weaving journey!! So now I would love to hear your story, how did you first discover the art of weaving? Have you woven before or is this your first time starting? I love to hear how others have found this art form that I love.

Happy Weaving!
Kate

||In the Shop||

For more fun, follow me here ->

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Beginner's Guide to Weaving | The Weaving Loom

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If you are new to weaving and need help getting started, then you're in the right place! Hi, I'm Kate. I'm the person behind this blog. Back when I started trying to weave, there weren't many resources available.

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Learning hand embroidery is fun and relaxing, plus it's an easy way to create beautiful art with fabric and thread. Getting started in embroidery means understanding some basic embroidery stitches. Most patterns only require a few basic stitches, learn these 15 embroidery stitches, and you should be able to tackle most embroidery projects.

Woven wheel stitch looks like a more advanced embroidery stitch, but it's actually quite simple. Start with a star of straight stitches and then weave the working thread to form a flower. Soon you have a stitch that will fill your hoop with amazing florals.

Definitely the most advanced stitch on this list, bullion knots are not for the faint of heart. But they are a stitch you should learn. Think of them as a really long french knot that can make gorgeous roses. Practice making them small and then start making them bigger. You'll be glad to know this one.

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15 Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches You Should Know

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Learning hand embroidery is fun and easy with these 15 essential stitch tutorials. Beginners and experienced stitchers will use them often.

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You've been the Rug Program facilitator since 2003, what's it like to see artists transform their work into a rug?
I get really excited to see our artists take an original artwork and turn it into a rug design. Sometimes they draw something specifically for their rug, other times we use older artwork: ceramic sculpture, paintings, wood pieces, drawings, anything! The rug often becomes a more graphic and simplified version of the original artwork. T he artists also love that they can touch it, sit on it, lay on it, and really appreciate their art in a whole new sensory way.
How do you see the Rug Program as similar or unique to the rest of the Studio?
The Rug Program is co-mingled with Printmaking because we share the same space in the Studio. I often think that printmaking and rug making are so similar: each type of art is very process-oriented and has a foot in craft. They both use very specific tools and are creating an image from another image. We can make editions, or if you're just going for it with monotypes in printmaking, you can do the same thing with a rug. The Rug Program is very unique, not just for Creative Growth, but for the world. We have been making artist-made and designed rugs since the mid 1980s and they always have that certain 'Creative Growth' look. I have seen other artists create wonderful rugs, but our artists always push the boundaries through their designs and application of the material.
What's your daily routine like?
Before we all were stuck at home, I worked at the Studio three days a week. Two of those days are specifically for my rug sessions. I don't really teach anyone anything, except for brand new rug artists on how to use the tools. This makes it my job to be setting up the tools, transferring designs to backing cloth, and assisting the artists with finding just the correct yarn for their projects. It's like a quilting bee during program. We all sit around chatting and working on the rugs. When I'm not assisting someone with getting yarn or fixing a tool, I'm putting a beautiful edge on the finished rugs, or giving it a label. At the end of the day, I pack each rug project up and put it all away for the next time.
What is the process like from beginning to end?
The process of rug making simplified is this:

1. Find a design.

2. Transfer it to the backing material with Sharpie and a projector.

3. Gather up all of your yarn for the project.

4. Stretch backing cloth onto the frame.

5. Punch yarn into backing cloth.

6. Fix the back of the finished rug with an acrylic matte fluid, so the yarn won't pull out.

7. Edge bind and label the rug.
How does the rug cooperative function?
We still use the Rug Crafter's Speed Tufting tool and the larger frames for the cooperative rug projects. It's a two handed tool that is faster to use but requires more strength. The artists making those rugs work on designs from anywhere within the Studio, often from alumni. Several artists will work on all of those rugs. Usually 2-3 at a time.

Any particular artists who love rug making?
Rickie Algarva has been making rugs for about 25 years. Maybe more. She, Dinah Shapiro, and Dan Hamilton were in the Rug Program before I started working at Creative Growth 18 years ago. Those three artists taught me how to use the Rug Crafter's Speed Tufting tool. Our rug artists have amazing skill and tend to stick with it for years and years. Dinah Shapiro has told me more than once that the process of using the tools is meditative and helps her focus.

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You've been the Rug Program facilitator since 2003, what's it like to see artists transform their work into a rug? I get really excited to see our artists take an original artwork and turn it into a rug design. Sometimes they draw something specifically for their rug, other times we use older artwork: ceramic sculpture, paintings, wood pieces, drawings, anything!

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Even grade one students are given concepts embedded in the work!

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Even grade one students are given concepts embedded in the work!

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Stick weaving for grade one.

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(gentle music)

- I think with textiles it's,

somehow it activates a part of my brain

that makes me feel alive,

and it's a combination of art and science.

So on one hand you have color and composition,

but then on the other hand you also has chemistry

when it comes to the dying process.

And then when I'm working with felt

and thinking about structure and form,

often it feels like an exercise in engineering.

Obviously it's also the tactility of working with my hands

and working with color.

I just feel awake with textiles.

(Arabic music)

I feel so lucky that I was born in India because India

and South Asia at large has the longest unbroken tradition

of living textiles in the world.

So you find techniques and practices

that are not even present as hobbies.

These are livelihoods.

Another thing about being from India

is that I'm endlessly inspired by the architecture.

There's a thousand year old temples

just in my grandmother's village,

because these all embody ways of thinking

that feed my own work.

Felt is one of the oldest textiles known to mankind.

So you take sheep wool,

any animal fiber that has scales in it,

and you compose it in loose piles

on the floor or on a table,

and then you soak these loose piles in hot soapy water,

and then you roll them up, roll up this composition,

and then you apply friction.

And so what happens with the hot water

is that the fiber opens up and exposes its scales,

and these scales when you apply friction,

connect to each other and then interlock

into a dense fabric known as felt.

(gentle music)

Sourcing is really important for me.

And I source from farms around the world.

And when I source,

it's important for me to source from people who grow fiber.

It's not something that I buy from the shop.

It's like if you ask somebody, where does milk come from,

and they say milk comes from the supermarket.

I mean, how does that make sense?

In the same way wool comes from a sheep.

A sheep eats plants to grow that wool,

and the plant is growing from the soil

that synthesizes sunlight.

So it's all part of a natural carbon cycle.

I want to make a case to celebrate these indigenous wools.

(Arabic music)

Once I went to Morocco

and I went to the high Atlas mountains

and I visited weavers, Berber women who weave rugs,

and I just pulled out my phone

and showed them pictures of my work.

And I showed them images of me carding my wool,

mixing my colors, and there was a woman there,

you know, wearing a hijab, sitting over there

and she must have been 60 years old or so.

She obviously has a very different life story to me,

a very different cultural context,

but we were able to connect as makers.

We were doing the same thing.

And then I sat with them and started weaving with them.

We don't need to say anything.

We're just moving our hands and pointing at things

and saying, Hey, you know, this is right, this is wrong.

They appreciate also that I quickly pick up things

and I respect what they do.

It's almost like communicating with my body,

and I find that process so enjoyable.

I have many sketchbooks.

I have one sketchbook that is an embellishment diary.

So every little piece I make like a beaded piece,

so a little woven piece or a little knitted patch

goes into that book cause that's my library of ideas

that I then go in and draw back from.

It's the way I think when I,

before I start a piece of work,

I'm working in my sketchbook.

It's almost like me warming up, choosing colors,

drawing with crayons, thinking about basic shapes,

negotiating construction ideas.

The sketchbook is where I do all of this.

Last year, I created my first large scale piece of work

that's called Oracle,

and that was when I first felt like I exploded.

And when I made that piece of work, it's a blue work with,

that looks like an ocean floor, a map.

It has these sea creature like forms

that erupt like flowers,

that they're almost gonna feel like they're going to eat me.

I put it up, and then I had to take some time

just between me and it and sit with it

and just look at it and talk to it

and actually let it talk to me.

It was telling me a lot of things, non-verbally,

and that's when I really knew that I have to continue this.

I cannot stop this.

I would be doing a disservice to my own self

if I don't stop doing this.

That's when I knew that I'm an artist.

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Sagarika Sundaram makes abstract painting and sculpture with felted wool, using natural dyeing and craft techniques from India and around the world. With indigenous wool sourced from the Himalayas to Hudson Valley, Sundaram's practice is in dialogue with notions of migration and nomadism as age-old expressions of pacifist values.

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Needle Felting For Beginners Tutorial - Let Me Guide You Into The Wonderful World Of Felting!!

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The residents of Gee's Bend, Alabama, are direct descendants of the enslaved people who worked the cotton plantation established in 1816 by Joseph Gee. After the Civil War, their ancestors remained on the plantation working as sharecroppers. In the 1930s, the price of cotton fell, and the community faced ruin. As part of its Depression-era intervention, the Federal Government purchased ten thousand acres of the former plantation and provided loans enabling residents to acquire and farm the land formerly worked by their ancestors. Unlike the residents of other tenant communities, who could be forced by economic circumstances to move-or who were sometimes evicted in retaliation for their efforts to achieve civil rights-the people of the Bend could retain their land and homes. Cultural traditions like quiltmaking were nourished by these continuities.

Most Gee's Bend residents accordingly did not participate in The Great Migration, during which over six million African Americans from the rural South journeyed to the cities of the North, Midwest, and West from about 1916 to 1970. By remaining in Alabama, most were not afforded the opportunity to become participants in the burgeoning American middle class, the wellspring of opportunity for many of the artists today recognized in the global art market.

In the 1960s, spurred on by Martin Luther King Jr's visit, community members became active in the Civil Rights Movement, ferrying to the county seat at Camden to register to vote. Authorities reacted by eliminating ferry service altogether, effectively isolating the community and cutting it off from basic services. During this period, local women came together to found the Freedom Quilting Bee, a workers cooperative that provided much-needed economic opportunity and political empowerment.

Throughout this time, and up until the present, the settlement's unique patchwork quilting tradition that began in the 19th century has endured. Hailed by the New York Times as " some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced," Gee's Bend quilts constitute a crucial chapter in the history of American art and today are in the permanent collections of over 30 leading art museums.

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The residents of Gee's Bend, Alabama, are direct descendants of the enslaved people who worked the cotton plantation established in 1816 by Joseph Gee. After the Civil War, their ancestors remained on the plantation working as sharecroppers. In the 1930s, the price of cotton fell, and the community faced ruin.

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This is a treasure! Retired TAB teacher and Massachusetts artist.

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2019 49"x37"

The pink lines direct the viewer's eye around the image. At first it looks like an abstract image, but a closer examination reveals actual size bottles, bags and straws.

2019 50"x41"

The images in this quilt are thrown across the surface in the same way we casually dispose of plastics. They swirl in the sea endangering wildlife. At first it appears to be an abstract composition lulling the viewer. Closer inspection reveals printed plastic bags and water bottles. The arresting red marks are representations of straws. To create the piece the fabric is printed on a gelatin plate and then cut up and stitched together. The stitches knit the shapes together and add texture.

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Plastic is everywhere. I wanted to express my concern about plastic in our seas. I began by printing plastic bags onto fabric. Then I cut bottles and straws out of printed fabric . I collaged the shapes onto fabric and stitched patterns into the images.

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For many artists, the digital sphere has been a necessary tool in reaching larger audiences and sidestepping possible gatekeeping from institutions. Instagram, with its emphasis on all things visual, has been particularly helpful.

Since the 2018 rollout of a feature that allows users to share other peoples' posts in their Instagram stories, profiles on the social media platform have become reminiscent of the blogs on LiveJournal or Tumblr, with personal posts placed between music suggestions and images meant to boost an imagined aesthetic. Queued after videos from, say, a hike or a meal, you may catch the work of an unknown artist your old friend or little cousin admires - and find that, after visiting the artist's profile, you admire them, too.

ALL ARTS has always been a platform meant to bolster the work of artists through a supportive community that transcends genre, and the ALL ARTS Instagram is no different. Now, with the aim to foster an arts community, we're talking with emerging artists in our series: Artists of Instagram.

Meet Simone Elizabeth Saunders (@simoneelizabethtextiles), a 38-year-old visual and textile artist based in Calgary, Canada.

Saunders has been involved in the arts in some way since childhood.

"My mom encouraged and nurtured it," she said. "When I was young, it was Royal Conservatory Piano to level 11 whilst doing competitive dance. Then it was theater school for university: acting, producing and writing. This was my career for some time. "

The world of theater and film pushed Saunders to set design, which further ignited her interest in visual arts - specifically fiber arts. She eventually returned to school at Alberta University of Arts, and during her studies, took up the tufting gun and punch-needle. "And [I] have not looked back!" she said.

We spoke with the artist about her work, her inspirations and what art means to her.
What does art mean to you? How does it fit into your story?
Art is an incredible expression of self, and in the same breath, is a way to impact people, to share a story. Art impacts my life everyday - the experiences I have, the life I lead, the people I meet and look up to, what I'm reading, what's happening in the world all influence my art. Art is crucial; it captures time and timelessness.
How would you describe the type of art that you create?
I create textiles with a tufting gun and punch needle. My pieces portray narratives that highlight Black womanhood: showing the strength, resiliency and joys of being a Black woman. I draw from my ancestry, my personal landscape and inspiration from within our modern world to create colorful portraits. I am forever inspired!
How has social media and the digital sphere helped you with your art career?
The digital realm has unveiled opportunities and connections for me with my art. Mostly, accessibility for people to see my art - it is so important to me. We all know it's not always easy to face the online world, but there is a gift in being able to showcase my art and have it seen on a global level.
How has the current global climate affected your art?
Every day, the global climate affects my art. I leave space for it within my practice to influence me. My pieces tell a story, lifting up the Black community, inspired by the roots of a powerful history and looking forward to an even stronger tomorrow.
How do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration from the day-to-day, drawing from pop culture, being moved by music lyrics or literature (Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, even Shakespeare) and forever inspired by art history. I am very conscious in honoring my ancestors and representing their history, while looking to our present (the Black Lives Matter movement) and forward to a bright future.
What other artists inspire you?
Wangechi Mutu, Kara Walker, Yinka Shonibare, Lorna Simpson, Amy Sherald, Nick Cave, Diedrick Brackens, Mary Sibande, Kehinde Wiley, Yung Yemi, Rajni Perera, Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha.
To see more from Saunders, follow her on Instagram or visit her website. To see other featured artists, follow the ALL ARTS Instagram. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Top Image: Courtesy of Simone Elizabeth Saunders

Nahal Amouzadeh is a Digital Content Editor at ALL ARTS. She can be reached at amouzadehn@wnet.org.

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Meet textile artist Simone Elizabeth Saunders

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For many artists, the digital sphere has been a necessary tool in reaching larger audiences and sidestepping possible gatekeeping from institutions. Instagram, with its emphasis on all things visual, has been particularly helpful.

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Fiber Arts! - US Letter by Tia Marie Hulce

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Thanks for the link, Clyde!

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Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama is perhaps most well known for her polka dot-obsessed paintings, sculptures, and installations. In 1962, as a young artist who recently moved to New York from Japan, she began taking furniture and other everyday objects and covering them with soft, protruding sculptures. She eventually created entire environments out of these otherworldly formations. By affixing soft, yet somehow threatening/sexual bulges to domestic objects, Kusama humorously called out the culture of male dominance that permeated the art world during the 1960s. For an extended look at Kusama's Accumulations, check out this article from MoMA's website.
When I was drawing, the pattern would expand outside of the canvas to fill the floor and the wall. So when I looked far away, I would see a hallucination, and I would get surrounded by that vision. That is how I became an environmental artist.
Obsessions, phallus obsessions, obsessions of fear, are the main themes of my art. Accumulation is how stars and earth don't exist alone, but rather the entire universe is made of an accumulation of the stars. It's just like when I see flowers, I see them everywhere...and there are so many, and I feel panicked, and become so overwhelmed that I want to eat them all.
- Yayoi Kusama from Kusama: Princess of Polka Dots directed by Heather Lenz.

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SOFT SCULPTURE SURVEY: YAYOI KUSAMA - PGF

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Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama is perhaps most well known for her polka dot-obsessed paintings, sculptures, and installations. In 1962, as a young artist who recently moved to New York from Japan, she began taking furniture and other everyday objects and covering them with soft, protruding s

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Sewing for beginners: starting and ending knot

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Sewing for beginners: starting and ending knot

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K-8 Demo Lesson Topics by Grade (ELTA 2018)

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MC-1 Felting Batts

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MC-1 Felting Batts 25 microns - MC-1 Wool for Needle Felting and Wet Felting Our MC-1 Wool is processed into batts and is used by felt artists all ove

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Core Wool

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Core Wool for needle felting or wet felting, Living Felt Brand Core Wool felts fast and easy. Great for the core of needle felting 3D or as a base layer for felting pictures or wet felting projects

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36 gauge triangular tip

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Felt Artist

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Artist Paolo Del Toro uses needle felting to create massive masks and sculptures out of wool and foam. His creations depict mythical faces in expressions that range from grotesque grimaces to contemplative introspection; all of his works feature open mouths. While Del Toro's work is not tied to any particular cultural visual heritage, the shifting personalities of his characters are reminiscent of Japanese Noh theater masks, which are designed to show different emotions from different angles. The artist tells Colossal that viewers describe his work as ugly and beautiful with equal frequency, which is exactly what he hopes for.

I try to find a place in my sculptures that unifies beauty and ugliness. That's not to say finding somewhere in the middle, but rather finding the place where both coexist at the same time... I hope that by challenging our perspectives, we might look upon one as also the other, and, through that notion, become able to encroach further into the otherness of our dreams and imagination than we might otherwise fear to tread.

Del Toro originally hails from the UK, and began sculpting in 2011 as a hobbyist wood carver. Since settling in the United States in 2015, he has begun to explore larger and more involved work: his most recent felt sculpture is nearly seven feet tall and took four months to complete. The artist currently calls eastern Pennsylvania home, where he is an Adjunct Professor at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. You can see more of the artist's work, including his woodcarving, on his website, as well as on Instagram and tumblr. (via Colossal Submissions)

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Gargantuan Felt Masks of Beautifully Disturbing Characters by Paolo Del Toro - Colossal

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Artist Paolo Del Toro uses needle felting to create massive masks and sculptures out of wool and foam. His creations depict mythical faces in expressions that range from grotesque grimaces to contemplative introspection; all of his works feature open mouths.

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The Basics: How to Needle Felt (Dry Felting)

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An Introduction to Needle Felting - Making Round Balls and Oblong Shapes - Needle Felting Tutorial

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"needle felting" felting "nuno felt" "needle felt" "wet felt" "how to felt" "how to needle felt" "felting tutorials" "living felt" "wooly wednesday" felt-a-l...

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Living Felt ..supplies, support, tutorials, community and encouragement for felters! Enjoy fun video tutorials for needle felting and wet felting. For great supplies, visit us: www.livingfelt.com For our online school: www.feltingtutorials.com Visit our online community: www.facebook.com/groups/livingfeltfriends

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How to make your needle felting surface smooth.

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How to make your needle felting surface smooth.

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Felting is making a comeback. Get ready to be inspired by checking out these 10 contemporary felt artists you simply have to follow.

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help sheet that is in the studio for students to refer to if necessary

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