Felting by Laura

Valparaiso, Indiana

“Find what brings calmness and connection to your life. Sometimes the hardest, most important thing we can do is be vulnerable…but when you let down your walls that’s when we learn, grow and find our unique creativity.”

— Laura Gutzwiller

What is Needle Felting??

Well, it’s a slow process of stabbing at wool or other natural fibers with different types of notched, or barbed, needles. If you keep at it, the fibers will knot themselves up until it’s solid enough to stay together and be considered “felted”. That’s the best way I can describe it! I also think a bit of magic is involved.

Watch these videos to see how I needle felt a "wool painting”. I use a few different tools to achieve certain effects. In the beginning phases of a painting, I will use tools that hold multiple needles. Then, all my detail work and fine lines are done with a single needle. Keep scrolling to learn more about me!

Creating petals with wool (and patience!)

Time lapse of continuing to work on the sunflower petals and adding shading

What makes my style unique?

There are many talented felting artists out there- what makes my style my own? I struggled with this concept for a while- I knew I needed to let my inner child play, and see what happened! What came about was a three-dimensional style of painting. I love making leaves come out of the matting, breaking the frame. I love building up the wool to create dimension and creating deep grooves to show depth. If you were to run your fingers over it, you’d feel how it stands out! Read on to see some of my other styles and what inspires me.

What inspires me?

Trees

Trees have always made me happy. They represent life, growth, and strength in the face of adversity. Trees need wind to form deep roots and strengthen their trunks, yet they also know how to dance in the wind and bend with it. They remind me to look up, to be still, and appreciate the balance of what’s above and below us.
Water

Water seems so delicate until you realize that its strength comes from persistence over time. I’m an Aquarius and I’ve always been happy near water. It is constantly changing, just like us.
Birds

Birds are a recurring theme in many of my landscapes and art. I find birds and their movement to be fascinating. They’re meant to be free, to move with the currents of the wind and spread their wings. Many of my paintings are of specific birds for their symbolism. They uplift me and remind me that I always wanted to fly as my super power ;)
Flowers

Perhaps my background in yoga instruction helped me appreciate the beauty of flowers and their beautiful layers, such as the lotus flower. Flowers always remind me to stop and enjoy temporary things. They’re meant to be enjoyed in the moment, appreciated, and adored. When the flowers in my yard bloom, I stop and close my eyes…relishing the present.
Color

Color can evoke powerful emotions. Sometimes I am inspired to use many shades of a certain color to play with shading and depth. Red inspires passion…yellow makes me happy…green is fresh like new growth and hope… take a moment to think about how certain colors make you feel? It’s a fun way to get in touch with your emotions.
Form

This is my newest area to explore. I’m diving into form, movement and emotion with humans….wish me luck haha! Here is an example of my love for texture, using curly mohair!

As my passion for wool painting grew, so did my desire to make it affordable to as many people as possible. This is extremely important to me. I want to create art that makes people smile and brings joy. I want even a glimpse of it at work or on a desk, to bring a reminder of peace. It’s my deepest aspiration to create tiny “mental escapes” for anyone, everyone, everywhere to enjoy.

In the depth of my heart, where my art comes from, I feel like it’s what I can do to leave this world a better place. If I was the reason for a smile, I am blessed beyond belief.

This is why my art became something that I knew I had to do, despite my life being on a completely different track before. (Read more in my About section). It felt right. Get it? Felt?

My mini paintings evolved from actually trying to make felted jewelry a few years ago. I realized I could felt the tiniest flower onto a wool backing for an earring… and that concept of miniature felting ignited something in me. How small could I go? How much detail could I add? Now, they are a bit of a challenge for me- and I love a good challenge.

My minis are with me at every in-person show. You can think of them as my “sketches” while I play around with color, design, and composition for larger paintings. My husband cuts, shapes, and sands the wood. He drills a small hole on the back for a peg stand (for a desk or table), and then my mom and I stain and seal the wood. They are 100% a family creation and I love that!

The evolution of the “Mini” painting!