Wild and Wooly Creations: Whimsical Explorations in Needlefelting and Mixed Media
Instructor: Corbin Brashear
Skill Level: Appropriate for All Skill Levels
Art Stay II – September 9-13, 2020
We will explore the wonder of the magical felting needle, and its power to transform imagination into form, as we create a variety of projects culminating in our Wild and Wooly Wizards of Whimsy. (Think art doll gone feral.) We will use found natural objects such as driftwood or kelp as our armature, and weave these together with wool and our felting needle, coaxing these elemental sprites to emerge into form. The basics of needlefelting, creating armatures and facial features will be covered in this wild and wooly whimsical class. Be prepared to be delighted by the wonders that emerge! Other projects to be created during the weekend include bird and/ or animal ornaments, and a 2 dimensional tapestry painted with wool.
Additional Supply Fee: $30 fiber fee.
Additional Supplies Participants Should Bring to the Workshop: Any interesting driftwood, kelp or other natural objects to be used as an armature or incorporated into the tapestry. Also feathers, shells , beads or other embellishments. The instructor will also be providing a variety of these materials to choose from, but if you have anything that has personal meaning to you, please bring it!
Workshop Reviews
“I admit to being a little skeptical that I could create anything close to the magic that Corbin produces but honestly, everyone in our class of all ages came away with their own piece of art, plus it was great fun! Thanks so much for your guidance, Corbin!” – Wynona Nash, Eureka, CA
“The needlefelting workshop is magical, fun, and easy. Corbin is a fantastic teacher/artist who shares her expertise so that everyone succeeds in creating a beautiful art piece.” – Jean Monty
“Corbin is a talented teacher with a relaxed presentation that will bring you lasting knowledge of this art form with impressive results.” – Lori Richeson
About the Instructor
I am a fiber artist and teacher who enjoys pushing the edge of wool, whimsy and wonder by using a felting needle to sculpt and coax elemental spirits into form. My work is profoundly influenced by the rugged wilderness of my home in the Siskiyou Mountains, near the Pacific, where I find the raw materials with which I work, such as driftwood, kelp and lichen. I weave these treasures together with my felting needle to create my whimsical mixed media sculptures, masks and tapestries. My work has been exhibited in many art and fine craft shows and galleries throughout the Northwest, including the Oregon Country Fair, the Mill Valley Fall Art Festival, Best of the Northwest, and Celebration of Craftswomen.
I love the limitless freedom and potential of needlefelting as a medium for creative self discovery, and as a meeting point for conversations between a diversity of mediums. For the past 15 years, I have been facilitating needlefelting workshops, all over the Northwest for for both adults and children. I love sharing this satisfying and whimsical art form with people, helping to guide my students to connect with their own inner creativity and sense of magic.
About the Instructor