Eastport Arts Center will offer back-to-back wool felting workshops with Audra Christie on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, from 12:30-4:30 pm. Wet Felted Fiber Beads will be Saturday’s offering; Wet Felted Vessels will follow on Sunday; attendees may pick one of these workshops or attend both to score a 25% discount.
In Wet Felted Fiber Beads, participants will learn how to create felted, spherical beads from raw wool fiber, then transform the beads into earrings, necklaces and other forms of jewelry. Attendees will also explore how to felt “sushi roll” beads with multiple colors of wool and transform those beads into various forms of jewelry.
In Wet Felted Vessels, each participant will create a 3-dimensional wool vessel. Wool fibers will be layered around a foam resist, wet with slightly soapy water, then rubbed and rolled to tangle and bind the fibers together to form the felt. To shrink and full the forms, attendees will squeeze and manipulate them to make them more dense and thick.
“Felt-making is a very physical activity,” notes instructor Christie about the vessel workshop. “Most of the work will be done while standing. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting wet!” Those curious about felting but wishing for a less rigorous experience will find it with the bead workshop.
Christie is an artist and educator living in Cherryfield, Maine. Her artwork, which takes many different forms including public installations, bingo and community dinner ‘happenings’ and a mobile fiber art studio, explores a variety of themes including ethics, craft, localism, conviviality, and the rural and community. She has taught numerous felting workshops for Schoodic Arts for All, Eastport Arts Center and Adult Ed programs in Washington and Hancock counties. More information about Christie can be found at www.audrachristie.com and AUD Art (www.facebook.com/AUDart/).
Both workshops are appropriate for beginners or those with experience felting, and are designed for ages 12 and up. Space is limited, and enrollment will be first-come, first-served. Most materials are provided; fee is $40 for either workshop, or $60 to do both; sliding fee scale available by request. To reserve your spot, please email alison@eastportartscenter.org, or call (207) 454-8822. Registrants will be provided with a list of common household objects they’ll need for felting (towels, scissors, etc.) The Eastport Arts Center is at 36 Washington Street, Eastport, and is handicapped-accessible. EAC workshops are partially funded by the Maine Community Foundation’s Belvedere Handcrafts Grant
The work of Eastport Arts Center is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.