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Friday 26 November 2021

Blog-free Week

 

Fishing Huts at Petrie Island, oil, 8″ x 10″, $250




Christmas time is approaching fast. For original artworks or gift certificates for paintings or courses, contact me directly at info@KerstinPeters.ca. I will also offer a new 2022 calendar. This year, I will concentrate on flower paintings. If you are interested in ordering a calendar and are not on Facebook, send me an email. I will forward you a preview.


For articles with reproductions of some of my artworks, check out my online store at Fine Art America:
https://fineartamerica.com/artists/kerstin+peters. For the first time, you can order puzzles of some of my images. You can find additional greeting cards in my online store at http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/kerstinscardstore.


To celebrate with you at the end of 2021, and instead of my regular Open House, I invite you to my virtual Advent Party on December 11, 2021, from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. I will share a Christmas mandala with you that I will send to you when you register. I am looking forward to spending a relaxing and cheerful afternoon with you. Click here to register for this free event.

Next week, I will publish the first images of the Advent Calendar of my works of 2022.

Friday 19 November 2021

Needle Felting With Cotton


 Lavender Fields, cotton, 5.75" x 9"

 

Blog 34


Cotton is the latest vegan fibre I used to create a felted landscape painting. It is the most widely used natural fibre. Do you see the fluffy balls of shrub in front of you when you think of cotton or your favourite shirt? 

 

 

Cotton Tops



To have a variety of colours available, I ordered the Fibre Garden Paint Box again. The fibres I worked with had a staple length of about 2 inches. The cotton tops were less shiny than the viscose and ramie fibres but very soft. At first, I wanted to create an iris image, but then I found a photo from a trip to the Kamouraska region. I replaced the dark aubergine peet moos fields with lavender fields. Due to the limited colours, I needed to blend the fibres because the blue was too intense, and I did not have any green.


Fibre close-up 



The combed fibres were all going in the same parallel direction. When I started laying the cotton onto the felt piece, the strands were easily visible and did not felt well. I used my dog slicker brushes to blend and agitate the fibres. After brushing the fibres in different directions, they started matting, helping with the felting process. 



Blocked in colours



I was surprised that my nose started itching not long after I started the project. I assume that the short cotton fibres which absorb humidity got stuck on my fingers. When I touched my nose, it created the same sensation that you feel after a haircut. Once the fibres had bonded with the felted backing, I did not have any more problems. Maybe, I was also more careful not to touch my face anymore.


I did not enjoy the feel of the cotton for felting. The fibres felt cool to the touch and dry on my skin. If I had to pick a vegan one so far, I would use the viscose as a wool substitute. However, if you like to dye your fibres, the natural white cotton works well due to its absorbency. 

 

This blog is my last regular one for the year. In two weeks, I start with my traditional Advent Calendar of 2021 artworks.


Friday 12 November 2021

Blog-free Week

 

Dance of the Leaves, wool, 11.5” x 8.25”, CAN $400

 
Are you still looking for the last splash of colour when you are outside, or can you hardly wait for the first snow?

I love colour, and every spot of colourful fall trees and bushes fills me with happiness. I love the bright foliage of my favourite season, which is fantastic for painting en plein air. I am glad that I have some fall paintings on the walls of our house. They bring me so much joy every time I see them because they also keep the memories alive. Do you want to bring fall into your home and enjoy the beautiful colours throughout the year? A piece of art can create this happy place in your home, whether memories of fall or any other season bring you joy.

If you are thinking about gifting a painting to a dear person this Christmas season, contact me at info@Kerstin Peters.ca. I will help you to find the perfect artwork. I also offer gift certificates if you want to leave the decision to the recipient.

Have a great weekend!

Friday 5 November 2021

Needle Felting with Viscose



Pumpkins, viscose, 5.75" x 9"

 

Blog 33

 

I am excited to work with all these vegan fibres. Some of them, I know from knitting and the clothes in my closet. Viscose is one of them. Many people think that it is like polyester. Polyester is a synthetic fibre usually made from petroleum.


Viscose is a type of Rayon fibre, considered semi-synthetic because of its production from natural materials. The raw material is from various trees chipped to wood pulp. At a factory, the wood pulp is first ground and dissolved with chemicals. Once it is washed and bleached, it is converted into filaments. The production of viscose requires many chemicals making the process ecologically unfriendly. However, the fibre is soft and shiny and is a cheap substitute for silk.


Viscose tops



The viscose fibres I purchased are combed topswith a staple length of about 5 to 6 inches. I was excited to work with the viscose fibres to see how they compared with the ramie fibres. Both are shiny and very soft.


Again, I had ordered the Fibre Garden Paint Box. This sample contained dark blue, a forest green, orange, white and rich burgundy colour. Perfect fall colours! Due to the orange, one of my pumpkin paintings came to my mind right away. 

 

Block-in of colours


Felting and blending the fibres was easy. The surface of the painting is shiny and soft. I enjoyed working with the viscose and would definitely recommend it for someone who wants to use a vegan fibre for felting. However, learning about the manufacturing process with lots of chemicals makes me less excited about using viscose for my own projects.


Almost finished: The transition from light to dark is too strong on the right pumpkin.