Artist Statement
There is something wonderful about wool fiber. It is soft, light, and warm. It has all kinds of natural colors and then you can dye it too. Next, there is the 'magic' part; how the felting needle interlocks the fibers and creates form and shape. It feels alive to me. Also, you can pick up your needle and wool, work on it, put it down, go off, or bring it along if it's a small piece... No major set up and clean up...just be sure to keep your needles safe. Finally, there is a satisfying crunch sound every time you poke the wool with your needle (or, failing that, you poke your finger and agony!).
I've enjoyed arts and crafts all my life, but discovered wool and needle felting a decade plus ago. It stuck. I started mostly sculpting figures in wool, but since 10 years back I've taken to 'painting' with wool and making pictures. I like the 3 D possibilities it affords and how you can incorporate embroidery floss, yarns, thread or objects if you wish. The canvas is wool, or more recently linen, the 'frame' is wool, and I try to hang the tapestries from a wood stick or bamboo stick that I feel match the painting. Since the wool has not been mechanically carded or handled I am continuously removing what is known in fleece circles as 'vegetable matter', tfoxtails and other seeds that get stuck in the fur of the sheep. My wool is mainly from sheep that keep the rows clear of weeds in a vineyard in Sonoma, I'm also using alpaca from the Montara farm, art yarns and whatever else I have around.
Working in wool suits me as compared to watercolors or oil. I like to start with one idea without sketching or a defined plan and then let things develop as I'm working. I pull off the wool or cut it out with scissors and redo what I don't like, I can try things and take it off. With watercolor you have to know what you are doing or you loose the purity of the colors, overworking makes it dull and muddy. Oils and acrylics will not allow too much redoing either and too many layers of failed attempts. A tapestry in wool is more forgiving, you can work on it forever. In fact, my wool paintings are never 'finished', I go back and fix things if I feel something isn't right. The 3D aspect lets you explore the contrast between the wool fibers and thread, floss, beads and fabric. Wool seems a natural for making clouds and rolling hills and furry animals. It is fun to go from an idea and see how it turns out.
I'm SwedishAmerican, married to an American. I have lived in California for 24 years, and now both my kids are adults. We moved to the little Coastside community of El Granada 8 years ago and love the setting, the beautiful scenery, the ocean views and laid back life style. Our cat and dog love it here too.
Birgitta Bower in El Granada, California
There is something wonderful about wool fiber. It is soft, light, and warm. It has all kinds of natural colors and then you can dye it too. Next, there is the 'magic' part; how the felting needle interlocks the fibers and creates form and shape. It feels alive to me. Also, you can pick up your needle and wool, work on it, put it down, go off, or bring it along if it's a small piece... No major set up and clean up...just be sure to keep your needles safe. Finally, there is a satisfying crunch sound every time you poke the wool with your needle (or, failing that, you poke your finger and agony!).
I've enjoyed arts and crafts all my life, but discovered wool and needle felting a decade plus ago. It stuck. I started mostly sculpting figures in wool, but since 10 years back I've taken to 'painting' with wool and making pictures. I like the 3 D possibilities it affords and how you can incorporate embroidery floss, yarns, thread or objects if you wish. The canvas is wool, or more recently linen, the 'frame' is wool, and I try to hang the tapestries from a wood stick or bamboo stick that I feel match the painting. Since the wool has not been mechanically carded or handled I am continuously removing what is known in fleece circles as 'vegetable matter', tfoxtails and other seeds that get stuck in the fur of the sheep. My wool is mainly from sheep that keep the rows clear of weeds in a vineyard in Sonoma, I'm also using alpaca from the Montara farm, art yarns and whatever else I have around.
Working in wool suits me as compared to watercolors or oil. I like to start with one idea without sketching or a defined plan and then let things develop as I'm working. I pull off the wool or cut it out with scissors and redo what I don't like, I can try things and take it off. With watercolor you have to know what you are doing or you loose the purity of the colors, overworking makes it dull and muddy. Oils and acrylics will not allow too much redoing either and too many layers of failed attempts. A tapestry in wool is more forgiving, you can work on it forever. In fact, my wool paintings are never 'finished', I go back and fix things if I feel something isn't right. The 3D aspect lets you explore the contrast between the wool fibers and thread, floss, beads and fabric. Wool seems a natural for making clouds and rolling hills and furry animals. It is fun to go from an idea and see how it turns out.
I'm SwedishAmerican, married to an American. I have lived in California for 24 years, and now both my kids are adults. We moved to the little Coastside community of El Granada 8 years ago and love the setting, the beautiful scenery, the ocean views and laid back life style. Our cat and dog love it here too.
Birgitta Bower in El Granada, California
Current
- The splendid yarn store, ’Fengari’, 415 Main Street Half Moon Bay, usually has something of my work hanging.
Past
-Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay, June - July, All Media Show
3rd prize for 'Fort Funston'
3rd prize for 'Fort Funston'
- Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay, May17-June 15, group show, 'Life on Earth'
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- San Mateo County Women's Art Show, March 1 to April 29, 2022, "Women's View,
400 County Center, Redwood City Honorable mention, Judge : Alena Sauzade |
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-Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay, November-December 2021, Membership show
'Memorial County Park and Pescadero Creek' Honorable mention |
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- Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay,
All Media show. June 24-July 18, 2021: ‘Mori Point looking North’ and ‘Mori Point looking South’ with honorable mention Juror: Kay Duffy |
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- Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay, All Media Show, 'Unchartered Territory, July 15-Sep 1, 2020. Virtual due to Covid
Jurors: Larkin Evans, Greta Waterman, Jane Lewis First prize: 'Sail Rock at Mavericks' |
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- Falkirk cultural Center, Spring Show 2020, theme: 'California Pride'. 'Devil's slide' was accepted. Online show because of Covid, (it's #13):
https://www.facebook.com/FalkirkCulturalCenter/videos/514096939481367/ |
Click for larger image
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- Marin Society of Artists, San Rafael, Nov 8 - Nov 31, 2019, 'Fresh Art','
' Flower Power at Ross Cove' |
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-Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay, July 20 - Aug 11, 2019, All Media Show, 'Personal Journeys', juror Chanda Carey.
Second prize in sculpture for 'Golden Hour on Haleakala' |
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- Coastal Arts League, Half Moon Bay, CA. June 21 - July 22, 2018, All Media Show, 'Fond Memories', juror Brian Bowes,
First prize for 'Morning Fog' |
’Morning Fog’ won first prize at the juried all media show at Coastal Arts League in June 2018. The theme was ‘Fond Memories’.
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