Day #17: Give A Hand!

I just returned from the most amazing weekend at Pocosin Arts Cabin Fever Reliever. I haven't been this sleep deprived since my youngest daughter was tiny -- well, that or college final projects! Those were the days...

I took a workshop in 3-D felting using resists taught by Lisa Klakulak. What boggled my mind is that her teaching is just as excellent as her work. (What I mean is that her work is stellar AND so is her teaching -- the skill-sets do not necessarily co-exist.)  I learned and synthesized more about the felting process on the first day than I have in the past year. Part of it is that there is a value in learning from a person rather than just a book. Direct experience is so key. The other part is having an instructor who person who truly knows her art inside out and upside down. I was in the studio early each morning and left late at night (past midnight!), and so were many of the other students. It was great being creative in a group setting like that with so many ideas jumping around the room -- it was alive with creativity!

"Hand" Puppet!

So, for today's puppet, I want to "give a hand" to my instructor and my classmates who all taught me so much and made for an incredible long weekend. She's made with eyeliner, red ink, black sharpie (that I tell my children they should never, ever use on their skin), and a purple fringed doll vest. And a hand, of course!

This is a felted vessel that was made using raw wool (merino) over a resist and lightly shellacked.

Now off to bed to catch up on my sleep as best as I can...