We learn through touch, and through play and
exploration; we can pause and dwell and take small pockets of time to
think of ideas to take our art or craft further. It may be into the
realm of the useful, to thinking of covering our body, or our neck, our
head or our arms: like playing dressing up when we were little; thinking
what would happen if we just put that bit there, or attached that
different coloured dangly bit there? Or it might be into the the search
for the fantastic, the evolutionary, the 'moody' wall hanging or
gargantuan (lightweight!) sculptural form.
My
work isn't always 'big' (though the work that goes into exhibitions
usually is!) sometimes it is small, a little patch of combined wools,
tatters of silk or cotton fabric and may be even the odd stitch or
needle felted detailing creeps in when the dried fabric calls out for
more attention or a dramatic full 'stop'.
Currently
I'm looking at photos I've taken with my iPad, deliberately swirling
and merging the image to extend my ideas. I've got an App that tells the
camera to take panoramic images and these can be captured as arcs and
circular forms. Ideas are springing up in my mind. I intend to get my
cotton fabrics out, lay down the fibres and any remainder or spare
prefelts I have lying around, and 'do' some felting. I don't know what
it will look like at this moment, all I know is it will not look like
the photographic image, but it will start from there, the fibres won't
'go crazy' on their own, I will have some control, but I am prepared to
let a little risk in, and see what happens.
On
the summer course I'll aim to encourage new ideas, but I'm also well
aware there are some of us who need to know where they are going, and
need to have an end product. Between us we can work through ideas and
plans, and I'm quite good at thinking of solutions especially if some
one's 'wheels are starting to fall off', because they've started an
adventure and are worried about the path along which they are
travelling!
My paths always lead to the seashore or the hills, so be prepared for some wide panoramas.
Patricia's website is http://www.art-felt.com/ if you wish to see more examples of her work.
