J.D. Potié
PORTAGE DU FORT
Aug. 30, 2019
Several art enthusiasts from the Ottawa Valley gathered at the Stone School Gallery last week, to partake in a . . .
two-day, hands-on workshop led by a local artist.
Hosted by Art Pontiac member Janet H. Tulloch, the class focused on painting with fibres.
The workshop served as an opportunity to initiate local artists to a craft that they likely hadn’t experienced before in order to encourage them to implement it in their respective repertoires, Tulloch said.
“The Stone School tends to attract painters,” she said. “Most of the people around here are painters, water colours, oil paintings. What I wanted to do was introduce a new medium to create an image.”
Throughout the workshop, participants learned how to use different forms of fabric like felt, roving and yarn to craft artistic portraits that came out looking like furry paintings.
Relatively easy to learn, the workshop was divided into two parts, Tulloch said.
Day one consisted of what Tulloch referred to as pre-felt.
After implementing colours and designs on a blank canvas, participants used a mix of hot water and soap, followed by agitation with bubble wrap and pool noodles in order to change the integrity of the fabric causing fibres to come together as a unit.
Drawing inspiration from the same image, each participant interpreted it in their own ways to come up with their final products.
The second day comprised of needle-felting, where participants used special needles to push wool underneath the fabric. This is where the details in the images started to make themselves present.
With a very soft feel to the portraits, the works can be displayed in a multitude of ways, whether they be hung up on a wall, used as a cover for couch cushions or even a warm comfy blanket, Tulloch said.
With a good group of hard-working participants joining the workshop, Tulloch was very pleased with how everything played out.
“It was excellent,” she said. “I couldn’t handle any more people.”
