Feltfull 2013 Hats- Part 2 of 3

Laying out hat number two...

 

...using merino roving and irregular pieces of hand-dyed silk.

 

The red side, mid-way through felting...

 

...and the blue side.

 

The fully felted red side (finally!)...

 

...and the blue side...

...whew! :)

 

The finished hat...

 

...after hemming and blocking.

 

As you can see from these process photos...

...Judit Pocs "Does not play!" Grin.

What do I mean by this expression?

Simply, that she is an exacting and attentive teacher...

...who encourages you to focus on your work and keep at it...

...until a perfectly felted, completely realized project is in your hands...

...and you are left with a real sense of pride and accomplishment!

Next time: the weirdest (and most complex) hat of the three! :)

Feltfull 2013 Hats- Part 1 of 3 (Plus A Flag!)

A piece of flat felt was requested from each of the participants.

(I made mine using pencil roving in several different colors.)

 

These pieces were then stitched together to form flags...



...and flown, proudly, during our workshop week.

(The 'flying flag' photo credit goes to Truus Huijbregts, NL)

 

Making a cord for hat number one...

 

...a rather bright, 'helmet-y' affair...

 

...which I dulled down a bit with a thin layer of brown roving.



The cord...

...pinned into a coil and drying.

 

The finished hat.

 

My hat class with Judit Pocs was really quite remarkable!

She is an exceptional artist...

...and a devoted and energetic instructor.

This was the first (of three) hats which I made during her three-day class.

Next time: a 'telescoping' hat...

...made with silk bits.

Maastricht and Friends- Part 2 of 2

A glorious clematis...



...graces Kim's lush garden.

 

This garden was the site of an artists' enclave ;) one afternoon...

...when blog friends, Mariana and Mitsy arrived!

 

Kim, in central Maastricht...

...drinking a 'chaippuccino'!



Spring came late to The Netherlands this year...

...and the budding trees were delightful! 

 

That's me, standing on a medieval 'ring wall' in this ancient city...

...in a borrowed, knitted cape from Kim.

(My friend, Linda thinks I look like I belong at Hogwarts!)

 

This picturesque water-wheel...

...still provides freshly ground wheat and spelt for the adjoining bakery.

 

Vrijthof Square with its colorful carnival figures.

 

One of the loveliest things about coming to The Netherlands...

...was having the opportunity to finally meet several blog friends whom I've 'known' for years!

Kim, Mariana and Mitsy were already good pals...

...living, as they do, quite close together...

...so when we discovered that I 'knew' each of them, as well...

...a plan to meet was hatched!

We spent a laughter-filled afternoon together at Kim's...

...eating and talking and playing with the babies...

...and it felt as if we had always known each other!

We are 'pen pals' of the internet age, I guess! :)

Maastricht...and Friends- Part 1 of 2

Coffee and biscuits with two incredible feltmakers...

...Kim and Annemie.



Annemie's shop is full of wonderful things...

...the very best in felt books and magazines...

 

...hand-dyed ribbons, merino and silk-blend roving...

...fabric, tools and lovely finished felt pieces.

 

Back at Kim's garden studio, we used carved wooden textile stamps...

...to decorate cotton fabrics.



Here's the hem of my new Hema tee shirt!

 

We also did a little natural dyeing...

...with fresh eucalyptus leaves.

 

A rolled-up wool scarf ready to pop into the pot...

 

...and again, later, in all of its colorful glory! :)

 

While visiting The Netherlands...

...I was lucky enough to get to spend several days with my long-time blog friend, Kim.

Though it was our first time meeting 'in person'...

...it felt as easy as if we'd known each other for years!

Next time: photos of Maastricht, proper...

...and two more artists!

Kröller-Müller Museum- Part 2 of 2

Yum! A 'fishsicle'!



The lush natural surroundings rival the art collection in beauty!



Sculptures of many different sizes and materials...

...abound in this lovely setting.

 

 Christo and Jeanne-Claude have a small piece in the collection.



I experienced a 'tingle' of deja vu when I encountered the Giacometti figure (below).

A nearly identical piece is in a quite similar setting at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

(You can see for yourself, here.)

  

Due to the rain, I didn't get to see as many outdoor sculptures as I'd have liked.

Next time, I'll plan to spend much of the day outdoors! :)

 

The colors in these paintings truly were burn your retina bright!!

 

I end our 'museum tour' with this textile-related piece...

... a classical female figure with her...erm...enormous mound of laundry?!?

 

Next time: my visit with a dear felting friend in Maastricht!

Kröller-Müller Museum- Part 1 of 2

I love this self portrait...

...and the artist's intense (and, to me, slightly troubled) gaze...

 

...and this off-center still life!

 

Here are colourways that compliment...

 

...and a powerful image of a woman...

...attending to a quotidian task.

 

I liked that many of the Van Gogh's on display...

 

...weren't the ones which you regularly see reproduced.



Notice the little fish or 'Alvin the chipmunk'? :) face in the leftmost image?

The Keith Haring graffiti reminds me of the 'Judgement of Solomon'.

 

Of course, I couldn't resist sharing this detail of a woman with her sheep! :)

 

The Kröller-Müller Museum is truly an amazing place...

...located, as it is, within a national park!

To get there, you pay admission at the park gate...

...then grab a free white 'commuter' bicycle...

...and pedal two kilometers to the museum entrance.

Because the day of my visit was a chilly, rainy one...

...and because I hadn't ridden a bicycle in over 25 years...

...(yes, my Dutch girlfriends found this to be incredible!)...

...I didn't linger among the outdoor sculpture gardens...

...but just made a beeline for the museum door! :)

Next time: more beautiful pieces from their collection...

...this time, mostly sculpture.