Felted Family Memories: The Art of Wet and Dry Felting · Nastassja E. Swift・ Textiles
Workshop at a glance
Do you remember the time? Explore the magic of recreating your fondest family memories with wool.
Techniques
- Wet felting
- Needle felting
- Representing the figure
Materials
- Wool
Outcomes
- Two dimensional felted portraits
- Two different felting skills
Artist Bio
Nastassja Swift is a multi-disciplinary artist holding a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2022, she was selected as a Distinguished Fellow at the Penland School of Craft and was recently commissioned by the SCAD Museum of Art to perform “Turning Seeds” a collaborative and site-specific masked performance. Nastassja has been selected for a Public Arts Commission in Richmond, VA, and is the recent recipient of the Center for Craft: Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship, a VMFA Fellowship, a Dr. Doris Derby Award, an Art Matters Fellowship Award, and a Virginia Commission of the Arts Fellowship. Nastassja has participated in several national and international residencies and exhibitions, including her solo exhibit in Doha, Qatar in 2016, NADA Miami, The Urban Institute of Contemporary Art in Michigan, and fellowships at the Vermont Studio Center, SPACES, and MASS MoCA. Nastassja is currently living and working in Virginia. nastassjaswift.com
Workshop Description
When was the last time you looked through that box of old family and childhood photos? Well, it’s time to dust it off! In this workshop, we will source imagery from some of our fondest memories to recreate a two-dimensional felted portrait with wool. Felting is a fiber process that uses wool roving or batting, applied in either a wet or dry method, to interlock the fibers into themselves. Lucky for you, we’ll be working with both! Our projects will begin with wet felting the foundation of our reference images through color blocking and layering to build a strong piece of fabric. Then, with a specific set of needles, we will add all the details needed to bring these portraits to life. Once completed, you’ll leave this workshop with a hand-crafted retelling of a story you once lived.
