Artist Stephanie Robison combines stone carving with needle felting to create playful sculptures in which wool appears hard and stone appears soft. She is currently having a solo exhibition at the Marrow Gallery in San Francisco, USA. Titled “Incantations for the Average Person”, her work has been described as “What Happens When Stone and Wool Have a Party?” by We and the Color online magazine.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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On Sunday, the 9th of March, a dedicated group of twenty Feltmakers Ireland members attended our Sunday Session. Five members joined the rest of us via Zoom. We enjoyed learning about the processes and challenges of creating artwork for our exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’.
The nine artists discussed techniques such as wet felting, needle felting, free-motion stitching, hand embroidery, stiffeners, and mixed media and shared their challenges.
In order of appearance –
Marie Hopkins
Marie Hopkins ‘An Tigín’ – detail image.
Guild member Marie Hopkins shared about creating her detailed cottage scene, ‘An Tigín’, which contains wet and needle felting techniques and even a bit of woodworking! She has a background in architectural model-making, which is clearly demonstrated in all the tiny details.
Marie Hopkins – March Sunday Session
Marie Hopkins- showing the wool collected from the Curragh plains in Co Kildare, and processed by friends.
Elizabeth Redding
Elizabeth Redding’s ‘Seaside Cottage’
Committee member Elizabeth Redding used Romney wool from her neighbour, Minister Pippa Hackett. Initially, she wanted to use the ‘cracked mud technique’, but then her design evolved, and she used a combination of wet felting for the base and needle felting for the details. She dyed her wool using instructions from the guild’s book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ instructions.
Photo of Elizabeth’s piece with a rough sketch and a version of her needlefelted cottage in the foreground.Another sketch showing how she how she initially arranged her design. She later transformed the elements into a Shamrock arrangement.Elizabeth holding up a needle felted cottage which is the focal point of her piece.
Annika Berglund
Annika Berglund’s piece – ‘Baile’ – Home.
In October, committee member Annika Berglund attended an in-person workshop with tutor Gladys Paulus. The students focussed on perfecting the wet-felting technique of their choice; Annika chose the ‘Cracked Mud Technique’. She said that previously, the “Edges {of her samples} were not nice”. Using knowledge gained in the workshop, she created a segment of pieces for her solo show, ‘Tapestry‘, at the Olivier Cornet Gallery, which was exhibited in November 2024.
In addition to showing us squares with the cracked mud technique, she shared a very finished-looking circular sample. She did not submit the completed version of this piece because it was slightly larger (by 2 centimetres) than the maximum width requirement for submissions.
Annika shares some earlier samples.More ‘Cracked Mud Samples’The sample for the piece she did not submit.
Eva Salamon
Closeup of Eva Salamon’s ‘Fairy and hare’.
Guild member Eva Salamon generously brought many sketches, partial samples, armatures, a completed sculpture, and photographs to show her process. Her piece is needle felted, with the fairy’s cloak being wet felted. It is genuinely a mixed-media artwork, which fascinated us.
She explained how she no longer needs to plan as much as did when she was still learning.More sketches.The ‘Shaman’ has some of the same techniques as her piece in the exhibition.Some of her previous projects – Trolls.Eva holding up a wire armature and a photo of her piece.Brian and Wendy Froud’s ‘Trolls’ which has been an inspiration to Eva.
Lorna Cady
Committee member Lorna Cady had us laughing at what she didn’t finish in time to submit to the exhibition. Many of us can relate to her ‘Mislaid Plans’ for the past three years. Her current project, ‘Soft Border,’ is a piece she started while invigilating at the exhibition.
Lorna’s WIP ‘ Soft Border’Simmel Cake Facts
Amanda Robinson Kelly
Amanda Robinson Kelly’s ‘Felted Roots’.
Guild member Amanda Robinson Kelly explained that she has previously created many pieces using free-motion stitching. For this technique, she uses dissolvable backing, fabric, and thread. For her exhibition piece, she included felting and used the wool roving on hand, fortuitously in the colours of the Irish flag.
Amanda shared about her process.
Fiona Leech
Fiona Leech’s ‘Tears of Hope’.
Guild memberFiona Leech amazed us with the scale of her resist, which was made from thin underfloor laminate. Her fibres encased it for her most ambitious project yet. Fiona’s vessel features six layers of wet-felted Galway carded wool from Cushendale Woollen Mills. The piece was so large that she had to rinse out the soap in the bathtub, and it took a whole week to dry!
Committee memberJuliane Gorman shared how sometimes it is necessary to change one’s design. Because she included lots of thick felt in the bottom half of her double brim, she was unable to shrink it down. So, she had to chop it off and hand-sew in millinery wire to make it work.
Juliane shows us the resist she used is the same as the one for the hat she is wearing.
Helena Mc Guinness
Helena Mc Guinness’s ‘Round Tower’.
Guild member Helena Mc Guinness shared how she combined raw wool from Carlow with other types of wool to create her piece. She worked on her needlefelted project while she was travelling and received many curious questions!
Apologies: The photographer forgot to take photos while Helena presented her work.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Sunday Session was a celebration of creativity and a rich exchange of knowledge and inspiration. From discovering new materials and techniques to learning about hidden resources like free creative spaces in local libraries, everyone left with fresh ideas and valuable connections. Special thanks to Helena McGuinness for sharing her experience creating art in the reservable rooms of Ballyfermot Library—proof that feltmaking can flourish in the most unexpected places.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Catalogue for Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’.
On Sunday, the 2nd of March, First Lady Sabina Higgins launched Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’. To accompany the show, we created an online catalogue to share with the Office of the President, the 47 artists involved, our members, and the public.
If you reshare any images, please credit the artist who created the artwork.
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Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
First Lady Sabina Higgins looking at Claire Merry’s ‘Hares in the Meadow’
Dublin, Ireland: Over 400 attendees gathered at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for the opening of ‘Symbols of Ireland’, a stunning exhibition from Feltmakers Ireland.
First Lady Sabina Higgins, wife of President Michael D Higgins, officially opened the event with an inspiring address, marking a celebration of Irish craftsmanship and sustainability.
The exhibition featured the work of 47 guild members, showcasing many pieces crafted from Irish-raised wool fibre.
Mrs Higgins expressed her awe in her speech, saying, “I’m overwhelmed. I really haven’t seen a felt exhibition before… I have seen individual pieces in craft shops, but I haven’t ever seen anything like THIS! The innovation of the felt, how it is made from the start, is incredible.”
She went on to recommend transferring the exhibition to the National Gallery of Ireland, underscoring its cultural importance.
As Patron of the Wool in Schools Program, Mrs Higgins highlighted wool’s role as a sustainable material, noting its durability and self-cleaning properties. She also connected the exhibition’s themes to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, calling them “the 10 Commandments of our times.” To learn more about the Goals, visit here – https://sdgs.un.org/goals
‘Symbols of Ireland’ was open to the public at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre until the 30th of March, 2025. Visiting hours were 10 AM to 4 PM, Wednesday through Sunday, with free admission.
The Exhibition
Entering the Exhibition
Sabina Higgins and Loli Cox viewing Amanda Robinson Kelly’s artwork
Loli and our chairperson, Deirdre Carroll
The Committee. Left to right, Juliane Gorman, Deirdre Carroll, First Lady Sabina Higgins, Suzanne, Phelan, Lorna Cady (in front row), Annika Berglund in back row, Loli Cox, Adrienne Dempsey, and Elizabeth Redding. (Sam Fagan missing from photo)
Mrs Higgins talking with Lorna McCormack, head of Wool in Schools. Arwork by Heather Byrne
Mrs Higgins and Loli viewing Annika Berglund and Sandra Chase’s artwork
If you are unable to come to Dublin, we have an online version of the exhibition via our catalogue – Catalogue- Symbols of Ireland
The Poster
The exhibition ran from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Please note: the Centre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The artwork featured on the exhibition poster is ‘Brigid’s Legacy’ by Jane Fox.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
A short Saturday morning bit of inspiration for you – two more sneak peeks from the upcoming Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’.
Claire Merry’s inspiration –
“The hare has been one of Ireland’s oldest symbols, dating back to the ancient Celts. It was seen as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, and was often depicted in Celtic art and mythology. The Irish Free State commemorated the hare on the first three penny piece coins.”
Irina Lampadova’s inspiration –
“I have decided to make a sheep adorned with shamrocks because these symbols of Ireland appeal to my emotions. They are my first memories of Ireland when I came here years ago. Beautiful and comforting green fields with sheep and cows made me feel welcome. It was a nice beginning of my new journey in life.”
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Siobhan Healy Ryan ‘Limestone footpath Mullaghmore-The Burren’
Sorry to post twice a day, but we wish to share many exciting events AND our upcoming exhibition!
The Open Call
Earlier in the year, our members were asked to share his or her inspiration to the theme ‘Symbols of Ireland’. We invited guild members to explore and interpret the rich cultural and historical imagery associated with Ireland. The theme was open to various representations, including traditional symbols, as well as more contemporary or personal expressions of Irish identity, landscape, folklore, and heritage. Artists were encouraged to present works that reflected their unique perspective on Ireland’s symbolic landscape through visual, conceptual, or abstract forms. Our open call welcomed all artistic styles and interpretations from our members.
Sneak Peek
One artist worked abstractly, while the other took a representational approach to capturing Ireland’s natural beauty. This evening, we are featuring Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann’s My View of Ireland and Siobhan Healy Ryan’s Limestone Footpath, Mullaghmore—The Burren. Both pieces explore elements of the Irish landscape, each through a unique lens.
Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann’s inspiration –
“I chose an abstract form to express my work, by using Galway Irish Wool and old Irish Linen pieces to show my impression of Ireland and its untouched nature!
The sky with its constant changes, light refraction from yellow to red-orange.
Moorland with its rich brown-black colours gradations interrupted by peat, rushes and flowers with “cotton blossom”,
Heather and broom brushes that blend into the landscape with their play of colours and stones that tell of their past, and touched my soul!
So, here I`m telling my story with sixteen tiles.”
Astrid’s work can be found in the following locations online:
“The Burren’s iconic limestone footpath is symbolic of Irish generations past and the weathering endured during the Ice Age. The majestic mountain at Mullaghmore stands proud over this rugged limestone landscape that continues to endure yet shift and evolve.” – Siobhan Healy Ryan
We will continue sharing our members’ inspiring contributions to our exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition opens this Sunday! We are thrilled to announce that Sabina Higgins will officially launch the event at 3 PM.
For this year’s exhibition theme, ‘Symbols of Ireland’, we invited members to explore and interpret it in their own unique way. The exhibition showcases a diverse and inspiring collection of wall art, sculptures, and wearable pieces—all crafted from sheep’s wool. The works feature a variety of felting techniques, including wet felting, needle felting, and even combinations of both, highlighting the creativity and skill of our members.
We are especially delighted to see a growing use of Irish wool, a cause close to our hearts. In fact, our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, was born from our passion for this remarkable sustainable material.
To whet your appetite for the exhibition, we continue on sharing some Sneak Peeks!
Sneak Peeks
A close-up of Anne Heavey‘s piece – ‘Fadó Fadó’
Anne was inspired by the following:
“A look back into Ireland’s past through the eyes of the Dolmen. Ancient structures that date back to the Neolithic period, 4000 BC to 2500 BC. This ancient symbol represents the history of the Irish people emerging from hunter-gatherers to a more permanent settled life. Agriculture and the domestication of animals emerged, along with the construction of these dolmens, mostly used as burial tombs, while others were part of a territorial marker. Under 200 dolmens remain dotted around Ireland, and were immersed into Irish mythological stories and folklore, such as Diarmuid and Grainne’s bed, whereas others are associated with graves of famous giants or warriors such as the Finna and Fionn Mac Cunhall.
The most famous and photographed is the Poulnabrone, Burren Co Clare; the largest is Brownshill, Co Carlow. These structures were usually erected with tall portal stones in the front and two at the back, with a large capstone resting at an angle on the portal stones. In ancient times, cairns would have been erected in front of the entrance, but now have been scattered over time. A picture at the Burren with my mom inspired me to use this symbol.”
A close-up of the piece by Helena Mc Guinness – ‘Round Tower’
Helena was inspired by the following:
“I live in the village with the oldest Round Tower in Ireland. A visitors centre has been built on the grounds just behind the tower. It has a lovely garden and a house showcasing the area’s history. It is in the village of Clondalkin, Dublin 22. It is well worth a visit.”
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
A sneak peek of Breda Fay’s ‘Anois Teacht an Earraigh / It’s springtime‘
Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition will open in less than a week, and we are so excited. There are almost 50 pieces of artwork (47, to be precise) from our members.
The theme of this year’s show is ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Guild member Breda Fay has created her piece inspired by Brigid’s Crosses, which are traditionally made from rush materials.
Here is her inspiration:
“The feast of Brigid is an important date in my calendar, not just because she’s my namesake but because February 1st, her Feast Day, heralds the beginning of Springtime with lengthening brighter days. For as long as I can remember, I have made Brigid’s Crosses from rushes gathered the day before, and one has hung in a prominent place in my home”. – Breda Fay
The exhibition opens on Sunday, the 2nd of March at 3 PM. Sabina Higgins will officially launch* the show. {For those living outside of Ireland, Mrs Higgins is the spouse of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins}.
The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Currently, the Visitor Centre – and hence the Gallery – is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. If Centre staff become available, we may be able to open the exhibition on these days. Stay tuned to our blog and social media for further updates.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Sometimes, one wishes there was a form of magical travel so that one could instantly zip over to visit all the interesting exhibitions happening in places other than where one lives. Here are six that look interesting!
‘Costures Invisibles: Una Perspectiva Del Tèxtil Contemporani’
What: ‘Invisible Stitches: A Perspective on Contemporary Textiles’ – Weaving narratives with invisible threads, this exhibition explores the emotional connections, aesthetic textures and curious phenomena between the physical and the intangible in our modern world.
Where: Centre Cívic Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain.
What: “Discover the rich and complex lives of women in the Middle Ages, with over 140 extraordinary items that reveal their artistry, resourcefulness, courage and struggles.”
What: “The exhibition presents the work of Stephen Jones, a British designer who, since his first collections in the 1980s to the most recent, is recognized by celebrities and fashion designers alike as one of the greatest contemporary milliners.”
What: “Enter the breathtaking world of SHAPE! In this fashion exhibition, you will wander past surreal, futuristic, seductive looks inspired by the human body and question beauty ideals. Through these designs, explore the body’s malleability and the creation of identity through textiles and fashion.”
What: “Flowers have, throughout history, inspired artists, writers and creatives. FLOWERS – FLORA IN CONTEMPORARY ART & CULTURE seeks to reveal the myriad ways that flowers continue to be depicted by artists and their omnipresence within our contemporary culture. Occupying two floors and over nine major gallery spaces, this exhibition features large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design exploring the ongoing influence of flowers on creativity and human expression.”
‘Textile Manifestos—From Bauhaus to Soft Sculpture’
What: From geometrically ordered weavings in two dimensions to free forms in space: the exhibition shows anonymous pieces side by side with well-known positions, resulting in some surprising adjacencies of comparable perspectives from different periods.
Where: Museum für Gestaltung,in Zürich, Switzerland.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Poster of ‘Botanica’ the current members’ exhibition of the Cork Textiles Network.
The Cork Textiles Network (CTN) has launched its annual member exhibition, ‘Botanica’. Each year, members come together to start their year with an exhibition of works that showcase the vast array of textile mediums used to create extraordinary works of inspiring art.
The Design Crafts Council of Ireland and Cork City Libraries kindly supported the exhibition, which will run in the Bishopstown Library, Wilson, Cork City.
When: The show runs until February 28th, 2025, and can be viewed for free during library opening times (10 AM—5:30 PM, Monday through Saturday).
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
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