For you today we feature the works of 3 Irish Artists whose pieces are featuring in the “Something Red” exhibition in Finland this summer
Today we look at the works of Claire Merry, Maria Mc Givern & Elizabeth Bonnar.
Claire Merry
Artist – Claire Merry
Aflame
I wished to portray the competing human emotions of the cool head masking the hot passion and turmoil in the heart…….. fire and ice.
Sale price €850.00
Materials – merino wool on silk chiffon, backed with synthetic felt for hanging.
Artist – Maria McGivern
Woven Fibres of Ireland
Inspired by the changing colours of Ireland and our forty shades of green with a little touch of red. The red wool used is cut from Donegal tweed.
Her green fields a myriad of shades of green- Ireland.
The woven threads of Donegal tweed represent the wild hedgerows that are bursting with dark red wild fuchsia flowers when in bloom.
The floating mounting representative of our status as an island nation with the uneven tassels reaching out to unite us with our fellow Irish spread across the countries of the world.
Sale price – €125.00
Materials – merino wool overlaid with pale green silk strips. The red is wool strip cut-offs from Donegal tweed.
Elizabeth Bonnar
Artist – Elizabeth Bonnar
Berry
My inspiration for this piece came from the silk yarn threaded with tiny glass beads. The materials filled my mind with the wonder of colour – the colour red in all its different tints and shades. Thebeads in the grid pattern peep out like berries in tiny gardens with walls of silk and wool.
Sale price€175.00
Materials – red silk georgette felted with a grid of wool and silk, trapping silk yarn with glass beads.
This exhibition has been part funded by DCCoI, with thanks to them for their continued support in heritage arts and crafts.
Elizabeth Bonnar is the founding member of Felt makers Ireland. At a recent committee meeting she described herself as “the oldest living member” which was quite amusing and a humble introduction! Liz will be leading a 1day workshop on 15th June on the topic of Nuno felting. Ahead of this we decided to find out a little more about her personal journey and relationship with Felt.
ELIZABETH BONNAR
ELIZABETH BONNAR
Tell us a little about you as a person? E.g. upbringing/ work other than felt etc.
I was brought up in a small town in central Scotland, and had a “free range” childhood, during which I made strong and lasting connections with nature.
My mother was a talented seamstress and knitter and also a creative home decorator. Home was always full of fabric, yarns, paints, patterns, all set against the constant hum of the Singer sewing machine. From her I developed a strong connection with fabrics, colour, texture and style; my own creativity was rooted in darning and then knitting.
Working life was as a GP in Scotland and England and later in Ophthalmology in Dublin.Over the years I have enjoyed collecting fabrics, yarns and textiles on my travels.
How and when did you start Felting… what is your experience, tell us a little about your journey?
Through joining the Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers I discovered felt, a craft I had never heard of, despite my love affair with wool. From that beginning I joined the International Felt makers Association, based in the UK, eventually becoming the local co-ordinator for its Irish members and in 2003 I set up Felt makers Ireland.
Of the many felting techniques I explored, my favourite soon became Nuno felt. Having converted our garage to a studio has given me storage for my stashes of fibre and fabrics, and keeping them all in glass cabinets helps the creative process.
ELIZABETH BONNAR
ELIZABETH BONNAR
Tell us about your process from conception to creation and what is your motivation?
My inspiration starts with the fabric – usually patterned silk, or ultrafine merino. The pattern and the colours guide me to any yarns in my collection that may be incorporated and very soon I can picture in my mind the finished article. My real passion is using silk fibre and fabrics in the design, along with exotic yarns, often in a grid system. At present I am exploring “painting” flowers on to hand painted silk, often using Treetops fibre, which comes in beautiful colour combinations, with silk fibre to match
My motivation is to try to make something beautiful from the colours and textures I have in my collection. Attending a recent dyeing workshop however has shown me there is much more waiting to be explored!
What wool fibres, will do for us is a continuing source of amazement to me; they can be as fine as 14 microns (the human hair is about 60 microns) and when felted can end up as parts in airplane engines or as delicate cobweb felt; they have the ability to travel spirally along their axis in the felting process, wherever we direct them, and then to shrink into the new fabric we are creating – and bring other fibre and fabrics along with them – physics and engineering!
What are you working on now?
I will be giving a 1 day NUNO felt workshop on behalf of Feltmakers Ireland on June 15th.
You can find the link below for application form and details of the materials required. I’d love to see many of our community there to share my skills.
On behalf of Felt makers Ireland, we sincerely thank Liz for her work on the committee and for setting up this valued organisation. Although Liz intends to step away from committee duties she continues to be a valued contributor. You will be able to see and learn from her skills if you choose to sign up for the 1day Nuno felting experience in June.
Felt makers Ireland is delighted to announce a 1 day “Felting with Fabric- NUNO” course. On June 15th, 10am-5pm Discounted for members to €55, ( non members €80).
Tutor: Elizabeth Bonnar, suitable with those with some felt making skills- for example if you make at home, or have attended a basic and beyond course… increase your knowledge and expand your skills.
See the application form below- this has the full details of materials required and application process and payment.
Please contact hello@feltmakersireland.com if you have any questions or difficulties.
From the archives – participants at a cobweb workshop back in 2005, including Elizabeth, admire the work
Join us in the studio in Phoenix Park for our next Sunday Session on February 14th, when we will be exploring the beauty and fineness of cobweb felt. The session will be led by Elizabeth Bonnar, founder of Feltmakers Ireland. Everyone is welcome. The session runs from 10.30 until 1pm, and there is a charge of €5, including tea/coffee & biscuits.
Cobweb Scarf – all fibres are laid in the one direction
The studio is situated at the Knockmaroon Gate of the Phoenix Park in Dublin
Feltmakers Ireland 