FELTED
This piece relies heavily on thread painting, with almost three dozen colors of thread used in the tens of thousands of stitches in the main area. Most of the stitched area contains 4-6 layers of color-blended stitching done in a range of color combinations in order to achieve an effect similar to painting. Prior to stitching, the white Kona cotton base fabric was painted using various colors of fabric dyes. Some areas of stitching are less solid, allowing glimpses of the underlying fabric, giving added depth. Raised yarn areas provide a look similar to rug hooking, and areas of felted wool roving complete the embellishment in this mixed media fiber piece.
This composition is based on the tainted areas of Louisiana marsh after the oil spill in the Gulf. The piece was displayed as part of the Texas Federation of Fiber Artist show in Feb 2012, at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, TX.