Fiber College of Maine Touchstone Workshop: Sept 4-8

Felt Vessel Making: Back to Basics

Are you new to creating a wet-felted vessel? Are you an experienced felter who wants to create something that currently feels just a little beyond your reach in terms of color, structure or shape? This is the class Judith wished she could have taken years ago and is now ready to share with you.

With Judith Daniels

Are you new to creating a wet-felted vessel or have some experience but want to up your game to perfect your forms or use of color?  In this workshop you will learn the basics about how to choose and use colors for certain effects and how laying out the wool in certain patterns and thicknesses affects the shape of your piece. In addition you will learn how the direction you roll to full your piece and how long it is fulled affects the final shape of your vessel. We will explore using various fibers and materials in the surface design of your piece and will dip into adding embroidery embellishments once your piece is fully formed. The instructor will bring in a few samples of different kinds of wool for you to touch to learn about what kind of wools work better for larger or smaller pieces and the difference in surface texture and rigidity.

You will be exploring two different ways to make 3-D forms: one with a resist and one with differential shrinkage. You will come away from the workshop with two medium sized pieces- a vessel and a shallow bowl. (If time allows for faster felt makers an additional small piece can be made). You will also leave with instructions for home about how to add extra stiffness to your pieces if you desire to have a form that is more rigid (though the forms you make will be stiff enough to hold their shape on their own once they are completely fulled and dried). 

* There is a fair amount of physical labor involved in the felting process.

Class and Retreat Fee: $980.00

Materials fee: $50

For more information on accommodation options, click here.

To see the other workshop offerings, click here.

Portrait of artist Judy Daniels

Judith Daniels

https://www.judithmdaniels.com/

I have been involved with one form of art or another for most of my life. I’ve been a painter, weaver, oriental rug restorer, photographer and now a felt maker. To me they are all interconnected and are all part of one great big creative warehouse where I can go to find inspiration when working on a piece of art.

I am happy to reside and work in Midcoast Maine where the artist community is friendly, supportive and quite vibrant!

Touchstone Retreat Schedule

WEDNESDAY


Settle into this magical world

2:00-5:00 Register, share a cider, pick up a map of places you might like to visit in the area and settle in for your relaxing retreat once you've gotten a lay of the land

5:30-7:30 Join us for cocktails/mocktails, snacks, and social time.  Meet the instructors and share in the stories while we have a teacher's work exhibition.  We'll light a campfire if you'd like to linger into the evening and toast marshmallows under the stars.

THURSDAY, FRIDAY and SATURDAY


Dive deep into your passion


8-9 Breakfast (included for everyone, veg & GF friendly)

9-12 Class

12-2 Garden Lunch and Guided conversation (1:00-1:30) (veg & GF friendly)

2-5 Class

5:30-6:30 pre-dinner sip and stroll~ a chance to walk the beach and catch up on the day's activities.

Thursday: Light Dinner (veg & GF friendly) Followed by a Forest Bathing Walk through the ancient Oak grove

Friday: Dinner on your own, studios will remain accessible and we'll have a campfire in the garden for your pleasure

Saturday: Moveable Feast, Some part of dinner will be served in each of the classrooms...stroll through and see what everyone's been creating

SUNDAY


Re-emerge Gently


8-9 Breakfast (included for everyone, veg & GF friendly)

9-12 Class

12:30 - 3 Lunch, book signing, special shopping, pictures and goodbyes (veg & GF friendly)