Earthly felted vessels with Pam Hovel
Course Overview
During this workshop expect to create a variety of visually exciting 3D sculptured felted vessels each with elements of earthly beauty.
You will learn how to make a template to suit your chosen form and how to construct sturdy, well finished and unique vessels. Students will experience a range of techniques for embellishment, drawing on inspiration from the natural world. We will explore many elements of surface design such as ‘cracked surface’ technique, rusting, patina and sculptured texture giving an earthy but elegant finish to each piece.
Some basic felting experience is preferred.
Material fee $5 payable to the artist
Teacher Profile
Pam Hovel is an innovative Textile Artist living in Mandurang South near Bendigo, Victoria. Her light filled, mudbrick studio on her family property is surrounded by bushland and wildlife and it is this beautiful, natural environment that both inspires Pam’s work and provides materials for her textiles.
Creating has been an integral part of Pam’s life, initially through necessity when she sewed clothes for herself and then for her children. Larger projects have also featured in Pam’s creative life. With her husband, she built their mudbrick home, many years before sustainability and recycled were buzz words. The home was built largely from reclaimed materials and is surrounded by a large garden, a passion prior to textiles.
A lifelong interest in textiles led Pam to discover the world of felting in 2004 and she has been passionate about felting ever since. Although Pam has attended numerous workshops with well-known felt artists, she is largely self-taught. Pam has won awards for her work in various textile exhibitions.
Following her creative instincts, she began her search for sustainable art practices. After exploring different techniques and fibres, Pam developed a beautiful, soft felt fabric using super-fine Australian Merino wool.
In more recent times, Pam has focused on more feminine and highly artistic garments marrying wool and silk in the felt process as well as using raw and wild fibres with dramatic results.
Consistent with being inspired by nature, only eco-friendly and sustainable dyeing practices are used in all her creations. All dyes are derived from plants and sometimes with the enhancement of found metals. No harmful chemical mordants are used.
These truly organic garments are uniquely beautiful, each created with a relaxed Australian feel and a delight to the senses to wear.
Materials List
500g wool tops or carded batts and should be 25micron – 30micron. Various colours of your choice, though natural colours work best. Bennett and Gregor www.bennettandgregor.comhave a good choice of natural coloured Corriedale/Merino wool tops and Feltfinewww.feltfine.com.auhave a good range of carded Finn batts.
Containers/vases or the like to use as a mould for your vessels. These need to be removed so no handles, or concave shapes. (Pam will have some available to use as well )
Tape measure & ruler
Calculator
Note book & pen
Marker pen
Sharp scissors (large and small if you have them)
A variety of light-weight open weave fabric scraps, yarns, other fibres such as silk, silk hankie, soy, flax, etc (optional and only a small amount needed)
Some found objects to attach for embellishments, e.g. rusted washers, pebbles (optional)
bubble wrap approx 1m x 1m & another piece 1m x 50cm
Pure liquid soap concentrate (grated olive oil soap dissolved in hot water is ideal)
and sprinkling bottle (1 litre plastic milk bottle with very small holes drilled in the lid works well)
Cake of pure soap
One small piece of nylon netting approx .5m x 1m
Three old towels
3 Plastic bags
Bucket & Rubber gloves
Please contact Pam if you have any questions regarding this list.
0408 384 571 or pam@rawedgetextiles.com
Workshop Terms
While our fibre art workshops are usually held in the gallery's historically significant workshop space, the workshop venue may change according to the needs and wishes of the artist tutor. Likewise, the times of the workshops may vary depending on the type of workshop and its presentation.
Timeless Textiles Gallery will, at its own discretion, where a participant is unable to attend a fibre art workshop, an exchange or credit note will be made available or a refund of the deposit or payment in accordance with the following Workshop Refund Policy.
Major commitments must be met, and in fairness to all, the policy concerning the refund is:
Cancellations 3 months prior to workshop date - refund 80% fees paid
Cancellations 2 months prior to workshop date- refund 50% fees paid.
Cancellations 1 month prior to workshop date- no refund.
