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Friday 29 October 2021

Blog-free Week

 

Magic Pumpkins, acrylic, 16" x 20", SOLD


Happy Halloween!

Whether you go out with your children or grandchildren or enjoy some candies for yourself, have a joyful weekend.

I would love to see photos of your carved pumpkins.

Friday 22 October 2021

Needle Felting with Ramie

 

At the Saint Lawrence River, ramie, 5.75" x 9"


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Since I have started needle felting, I hardly ever used any other fibres than wool. I love to work with Corriedale tops from Ashford of New Zealand. The fibres have a good grip and felt quickly but are matte. For some shine, I have mixed them with Merino wool. Merino wool is very soft, has hardly any crimp but takes a long time to felt on its own, often leaving a fuzzy finish. When I needed some cold white colour, I used an acrylic-wool-blend because most natural fibres come mainly in a soft white colour.


When I offered my latest felting course, I received some questions about vegan fibres from a client who is allergic to wool. First, I started with some Internet searches, but the results were mixed. One artist loved to work with various vegan fibres, while another was rather frustrated with the results. I was intrigued and ordered a variety of vegan fibres to have started testing them for needle felting.


The first vegan fibre is ramie, a bast fibre from the nettle family. It is one of the oldest cellulose fibres used for different fabrics and has a staple length of 7 to 8 inches. To determine the staple length, you pull a bunch of fibres from the top and measure them. Ramie is a strong fibre with the ability to hold shape. It is also resistant to bacteria, mildew, and insects.



Ramie is shiny and feels very soft. It almost looks and feels like hair. Because of the colours in the Fibre Garden Paint Box that I received, I opted for a landscape with flowers. I was not sure what to expect but had read that ramie creates firm pieces. The combed fibres are all going in the same parallel direction. When I started laying the ramie onto the felt piece, I got frustrated because the fibres looked like parallel hair strands. The medium felting needle left visible holes.






I remembered that I had bought a pair of dog slicker brushes with wire pins to blend my wool. After brushing the fibres in different directions, they began to matte together, improving the felting process. I also switched to a fine felting needle which helped in preventing the big holes. The staple length worked great for the grasses in the foreground. However, I don't enjoy the long fibres for the rest of the painting, which looks very hairy.


For someone who is not allergic to wool or vegan, I would suggest mixing ramie with wool. I will try a blend of Ramie and Corriedale next.

Friday 15 October 2021

Blog-free Week

 

Nature’s Mirror, wool, 11” x 8.5”, CAN $400


I hope you enjoyed the lovely mild fall days that we experienced for the past weeks. I took many pictures of the beautiful fall colours during my daily walks. The Ottawa region can expect a wet weekend, perfect for sitting down with a needle felting project while listening to the rain. I will examine how the different vegan-friendly fibres work for needle felting and share my experiences next week.

 

If you want to buy the above artwork that reminds you of the bright fall colours all year round, send me an email to info@KerstinPeters.ca.
 

Have a great weekend!

Friday 8 October 2021

Needle Felted Paintings

Pink flowers, wool, demo project, 6" x 6"

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What is a needle felted painting? Needle felted paintings are two-dimensional artworks created by needle felting, even though you don’t use any brush or paint to create them.


If you are new to needle felting, I want to give you a short overview of my process to create a simple needle felted painting. I am sure there are different ways, and I always encourage students to learn from various instructors to learn different techniques.


Here are my steps to create a needle felted painting:


1) Look for a reference photo or create a design from imagination 

For this project, I created a flower from my imagination.



2) Collect all the materials you need:

  • wool rovings and battings or vegan-friendly fibres (I will examine some in the upcoming weeks.) in the colours of your project

  • felting needles (I usually use one medium and one fine one

  • an old cushion or foam pad thick enough so that the needle cannot poke through

  • felt fabric in the size of your intended artwork



3) Draw the image onto your felt: I usually don’t draw the image on my felt fabric, especially if the artwork will be about the size of my reference photo. However, for larger pieces, I suggest drawing the composition. You can use a pencil, marker or marking pencil for fabric to draw the basic shapes without too much detail (see No. 4). Make sure to pick a light colour when your image has mainly light colours. You want to avoid that the marks are showing through your finished painting.



4) Blocking in of colours: I start with blocking in my colours – like in a regular painting. The purpose of the blocking in of colours is to cover the background by adding colour to the different spaces of the design. At this point, I don’t worry about values but mark the specific shapes with an approximate colour of that shape. For example, in this demo piece, I used one pink hue for all the pedals and one green one for the leaves without looking at any differences in value. I will add details in the next layer.

In the case of my flower, I create five loosely shaped petals that have about the same size. Then, I stab the wool with my felting needle through the felt backing. When you stab the needle through the roving or batting, the barbs catch on the fibre scales. This process pushes them together so that the fibres cling together. Make sure to hold the needle in the direction you are stabbing to prevent breakage of the needle. For big pieces, you can also use a needle holder that can hold several needles at a time. Pay close attention to what you are doing because the needles are very sharp, and you can easily stab yourself. You can buy finger guards or put bandages on in advance if you are worried. 

 

three felted petals, right a similar flower


adding leaves


 

fully blocked in artwork

 

5) Once I have covered my background, I start building up layers of fibres to add more details by studying the petals and leaves to see the darker and lighter areas. You want to add the illusion of space with darks and lights. However, needle felting offers you the opportunity to add material to create a three-dimensional shape. I sometimes use this technique for some areas in the foreground, but I keep most sections two-dimensional (see picture at the top).



6) Finishing the Artwork

Because I only create pieces displayed in a frame, I only have them mounted on a mat and put in a frame. If you decide to hang your painting without glass protection, you can carefully clean it with compressed air or a damp cloth. There is a risk that some dyes might start bleeding, so use cold water to avoid ruining your artwork.


If you want to shrink the needle holes and help interlock the fibres further, you can also use a steam iron on the back of your image. Avoid moving the iron back and forth on your fabric, but preferably press it down and lift. You could also do it from the front by putting a cotton tea towel between the artwork and the iron. Using the iron will flatten your artwork. I have never ironed my felted pieces because I prefer slight differences in texture and height in my paintings.


If you want to read about the health benefits of needle felting, check out the following blog https://kerstinpeterspaintingblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-positive-effects-of-needle-felting



You can also experience these benefits by joining during my November workshop. For more information and to register to https://www.kerstinpeters.ca/product/felting-experience/.

In two weeks, I will talk more about the differences in fibres that you can use for needle felting.








Friday 1 October 2021

Blog-free Week

 

Fall Splendor, wool and embroidery thread, 11.75” x 9”, CAN $400


I wish you a wonderful start to October. In the Ottawa region, the trees are turning more colourful every day. However, the nights are cold, and while the sun is still warm, the air feels cool. It is the perfect weather for hiking, sightseeing and painting en plein air.

As the days are getting shorter, it is time to think about fall activities. I extend my invitation to you to learn needle felting in my four-week virtual workshop that starts on November 6, 2021.
To take advantage of the early bird price, register by October 1, 2021, at midnight. 

 



To help you make your decision, here are some answers to questions that I received during the past weeks.


1) Do I need any felting or other needlework experience?


The workshop is for beginners. If you have already needle felted, you can still join us. I will give you some options to challenge you.

During each session, you will :

- learn needle felting basics

- be guided in the creation of the projects

This workshop is for you if you:

- want to learn how to needle felt

- enjoy learning in a small group



2) Are you intrigued but are allergic to wool?


I have ordered some new materials that I will test over the next couple of weeks. However, for most people, an acrylic or nylon blend with a small percentage of wool does work well. 



3) Creating three projects seems a lot. Will I be able to finish the projects by myself if I cannot finish them in class?

 
The technique for all three projects is the same. You can ask questions in the private Facebook group or by email if you need help. As a bonus, you will also receive a 30-minute private Zoom session at any point during or after the workshop.



Do you have any other questions? You can reach me by email at info@KerstinPeters.ca

 

Are you ready to register? Here is the link: https://www.kerstinpeters.ca/product/felting-experience/.