My first wet-felted wall hanging

Here is the felted painting. I will embroider in details when its dry. However, I’m pleased with how it has turned out. I like how the pineapple fields details show through. 🙂
I usually paint in acrylics, but since I’ve been felting for a few years, I’ve exercised my creative juices through wool and silk.
A few months ago I experimented with a felt ‘painting’ of Uluru. Â It wasn’t bad, but was rough and ready in a few ways. Â However it showed me that I had the potential to turn wool rovings into a recognizable picture.
Today was the day. Â I got out my wool rovings, silk tops, silk noile, silk hankies and odd scraps of patterned chiffon and lace and a piece of cream pre-felt.
Then I took a deep breath.
This had been several weeks ‘cooking’ on the inside after I had the desire to make a felt wall hanging, but like any good baby it does take a while to bring it all together on the inside before it makes its appearance in the outer world.
I can’t say exactly what goes on in my psyche when I’m cooking a painting, but I think a lot of it is accepting the idea, pulling together thoughts about what I can make and how I can best bring it into reality. Â Then there are the resistances that my desires and thoughts butt up against. Â The ones that caution me not to waste resources in case it turns out like a dog’s dinner, or what will happen if I put all that time into creating something beautiful but which turns out like Rosemary’s Baby.
I’m all for fun and like to avoid frustration like most of us, so over the years I’ve learned not to physically start the project until I feel ready. Â Otherwise the whole thing becomes an exercise in pulling teeth: very painful and very laborious.
Well enough rambling, I’ve got a few pics to document the process for anyone that’s interested.
You know, it never ceases to amaze me that you can basically start with raw unspun wool, mash it together with soapy water for ages and you end up with a stunning fabric.
Enough said. Â Here’s today’s work:


Written
on 30 March, 2013