Dani Ives - Painting with Wool: 16 Artful Projects to Needle Felt

In 2015, I quit what I thought would be my lifetime career and began my pursuit to become a full-time maker and artist. That decision didnt come quickly or easily, but I certainly dont regret it. Being able to put my creative skills to use daily has been an incredible reward for the amount of work and practice I put forth in the beginning and every day since.

I never could have predicted this path, which has been both awesome and terrifying. I grew up wanting to work with animals, and thats what I did as a conservation educator in a zoo setting. Over nearly ten years I helped educate thousands of students and adults about animals, their habitats, and the things we can do to be responsible stewards of wildlife and of our planet.

But one day, I had a seemingly innocent conversation about crafts with a coworker that would later have a profound impact on my future. She introduced me to needle felting and explained that you could make cute animal figurines with the process. I ordered some supplies from Etsy, and I was hooked. Needle felting became a way for me to unwind, relax, and work with my hands at the end of the day. (If youre new to felting, youll soon discover how meditative it can be!) I started creating a menagerie of animal figurines, and then I jumped into the world of selling on Etsy and at local craft shows. My wool creations branched out into potted plants, pin cushions, and jewelry. Then, a couple of years into my felting journey, I tried my hand at a two-dimensional wool picture. It was a revelation! I realized that this style was perfect for me, because it was not only more artistically fulfilling, but it was also a challenge. I soon discovered that there werent any resources to guide me down this path. But I knew what I wanted to accomplish, so I kept experimenting and testing ideas. Finally, Ive arrived at a place in my work that is special and worth sharing with others. Working with fibers in a manner that mimics the look and feel of traditional painting has been a result of investing thousands of hours in my practice.

Whether or not youre new to needle felting, my goal for this book is to give you a peek at the potential that wool can offer as an artful medium. The scope of possibilities is truly endless. As I continue my felting practice, Im learning every day. In these pages, I offer you the methods and techniques that have helped me the most as Ive grown into my medium. Together, well work on technical skills as well as creative skills. I truly believe that everyone can be creative.

Every person who wants to be an artist can be an artist. But your creativity is a muscle that needs to be worked and tested regularly. Nurture your creative skills and help them grow by testing out new ideas and challenging old assumptions. When I picked up a felting needle for the first, second, and even hundredth time, I wasnt sure that what I set out to make at that moment was possible, but all I had to do was try. Every piece is an opportunity to learn and grow.

If youre ever hesitant about trying something new, consider that stepping out of your comfort zone can be a fast track to opening the floodgates to your creativity. It helps you look at subjects, techniques, and results with fresh eyes. Its so important to do this every now and then, especially if youre finding yourself yearning for a change. In the beginning, you might not get the results you want, and thats okay. Expect to fall short at first. I surely expect to when Im trying something new. But I know that if I keep working and keep practicing, my efforts will pay off.

The projects in this book offer a range of ways to practice using wool as a medium for surface design. If youve never delved into the world of fiber arts (welcome!), youll be surprised at how fulfilling it is to work with something so textural. Holding and manipulating the fibers and knowing that each of them passed through your hands is a unique feeling, and Ive witnessed many students experience this.

Ive been teaching needle felting techniques since 2015. Taking on the role of educator was second nature once I was comfortable with my skills. I teach in-person workshops, master classes, and lead online courses all about needle felting. Ive studied what is most helpful for students to understand and learn, and I truly enjoy watching others discover the magic of painting with wool. I hope you enjoy creating the projects in this book as much as I have. After youve practiced and experimented with these projects, youll be looking everywhere for things to embellish with needle felting. I hope you take the lessons and steps Ive presented and use them as a springboard for creating all kinds of artful projects. Now, grab your needle and wool, and lets get started!

Once you learn a few basic techniques, the process of needle felting is very easy. Youre literally just poking fibers to make them stick together. Whats happening is the barbed needle is grabbing wool fibers and tangling them with the base fabric and other surrounding fibers. Each wool fiber is textured on a microscopic level, so creating friction among the fibers with your needle links them together, creating felt. But its the artistic practice you will use to create something artful. Learning how to see your subject in a way that you can transfer to your medium is key. The learning curve for creating art isnt always in the materials, its in the development of how you see your subject. My goal for these projects is to minimize the initial learning curve and to help you build basic felting skills that will allow you to portray your own subjects later.

I often hear from students that they are intimidated by needle felting. But once they learn the different steps that simplify processes like blending colors, adding highlights, and laying down shadows for dimension and shape, they feel like creating artful pieces is not only achievable but fun! I also hear (and wholeheartedly agree) that needle felting is addictive. Its easy to get lost in a piece, to keep working and going until your art is complete. Needle felting offers instant gratification. When you poke a fiber into place, thats where it exists, regardless of what happens around it. You can layer on top of that fiber or lay more right beside it. You can push it and pull it with the needle to alter its line. But my favorite quality about wool as a medium is that its extremely forgiving. Unlike ink or paint, if you lay down some fibers and decide that you dont like that color or placement, up to a certain point, you can simply lift the fibers back up with no harm to the fabric below. Making changes or reworking your art has never been easieronce you pass the point of no return, you can still revise your work by simply adding fiber on top! Experimenting with fibers and testing the possibilities with felting needles is half the fun and will help you develop your own favorite techniques.