Artful students

So the first two of my new workshops have gone very well. I've really enjoyed getting back into the teaching saddle. This was an entry level felting workshop and everyone made some amazing felt. After making flat felt and experimenting with adding fibres to the wool we made some small bowls, gorgeous vessels of promise

martha stewart show about fashioning felt in New York Cooper-Hewit National Museum

I would love to see this one.

Workshops for locals

A Felting Workshop

with Pam de Groot

Beginners Course: 1 Day 10am-2pm

Learn the very first steps of felting.

 Create a sampler of flat felt , learning to manipulate and add in other materials.

 Make a piece of felt using a resist. This is the basis of bags, pockets and hats. We will make a bowl.

Requirements

• Byo Lunch, morning tea provided.
  
• We will be using bubble wrap, soap, netting and fleece with additions of silk, mohair, spun fibres and fabric. If you would like to bring any of these you may.
  
• If you don't have any of these the equipment can be borrowed from me and materials can be bought on the day.
  
• Resist material will also be provided.
  
• Bring an old towel or a couple of cloth nappies
  

Dates

Sunday 9^th August or

Thursday 13th August or

Sunday 23^rd August

Cost

• $45 per person plus materials.
  

email pamdegroot.fibre@gmail.com

I will be following up with other classes later.

rollercoaster ride ?

Well I'm back from Bendigo and still digesting what came from it all. I must say it was lovely to meet the enthusiasm of those who had not seen my work before. I got 2nd in the wearable art for the gown and hat.
I find myself in a difficult place though. I'm in a transition space with my work. I need to find a clearer path. I think its become art but not clearly defined in either world. I think I may have to get a bit serious and work this all out. How do I now market myself? Included are some pics of the first prize (Pam Hovel of Victoria) and mine

Bush Priestess

So here she is and I must confess to being ever so slightly chuffed at the outcome. Yet another gorgeous friend has kindly donned the garment and wow she has breathed life into it. I could have taken photos all morning. I feel some how that this one wanted to be made and that it didn't matter how wobbly the start was it was just going to be.
I get quite excited at the process and marvel at the problems solved, choices made and unmade, how ideas reveal themselves slowly at just the right time. I originally wanted to encase stones in the front but that wasn't working and then the shells were a perfect fit. It is probably good that I had to post it off as I potentially could have kept fiddling eternally.

The Eucalypt gown

These are some prefelts and silk dyed and ready to be made into a gown. I've never tried any thing like this before. I have no pattern and no idea really I'm just winging it and hoping for the best!! I'm on a dead line as usual and spent an all nighter getting all the bits together.




This is the size of the gown in the underlayer of prefelt next to my 13yr old.



This is the gown before felting. I hope I haven't made it too big!!. It always astounds me the size of things before they are fully felted.

Headdress in full flight.

I promised a pic of the headdress on, and here it is. The weather was a bit crap so the constant drizzle played havoc with the stiffening. It was a bit floppy by the top of the hill at the festival. I also had some fun dyeing more luscious bush. These photos are some of the scarves I made.

Planetary tribal headdress

So I've been working on this little piece for a while. I think I got my measurements a bit wrong cause it is awfully tall and a bit top heavy really. I love the way it looks on someone and will try to get a pic of that later. It is still a bit soft for my liking so I will re-wet today and stiffen again. It goes into the Katoomba Art Street exhibition this weekend and I have to drop it off tomorrow so I better get cracking. Just had to share.

The Warrnambool Wrap "Felt Pelt"

Unable to find a model with time I've resorted to the one that can't move. I bought this at an antique auction and it really is falling apart. It needs some shoulders to show this well but it will have to do.. The first pics are the preliminary work of the wrap before the final dye. One learns many lessons on the samples you take away from a workshop. I learnt a valuable one WRAP VERY TIGHTLY. It all ended up very orange and the more subtle parts were lost. Luckily I spent many years as a potter and have learnt the art of moving on and not becoming too attached to pieces. India's piece of London scrap has played nicely on the front leaving an interesting mark from the hinge. I've called this one the "Felt Pelt"

Manna from heaven

Look what one can find ready for the council green waste collection! Eucalyptus Cinerea. The hairy one helped me load it in the trailer and now I just have to bag for months of fun to come.

Some Blue Mountains alchemy

Here are some pics of the work I did for the Kamaroi fair this Sunday. Been dyeing my little behind off to get it all done. The two felted scarves sold in the first hour! It was a bit hard to part with them as the love affair was still young. I love the little sections of unexpected magic in the folds of each scarf. I managed to find a eucalytus leaf to print green. Unfortunately I was hopeless and picked a bit up from here there and every where and I'm not sure which venue the little darling came from. Here's hoping I can find the tree and see if I can make a green dye bath! See if you can see the ring pull from the tin lid in one.

More from planet Bliss

Here are some more photos. The teapot one is a photo of India's bag and a nice little still life in itself. I have yet to post pics of my wrap as I need to find time to get a model for it.

Leaves and magic alchemy!

I Have been transported to the planet Bliss doing a workshop with India flint.
We bundled and wrapped the many and varied leaves and pods of the Deakin University campus and created some samples of wonderment. My perceptions of pieces of scrap metal and old pots will be forever altered. No longer can I admire a garden for its beauty alone. Now I look first for the likely colour potential!! Here are some photos to begin with. I'll post some more later.