Needle Felt Painting: Somebody's Watching! Workshop

If you spend any time in our beautiful mountains, it’s not uncommon to feel like somebody’s watching you—and they just might be! Fortunately, the “somebodies” are usually bears, not humans, and our curious friends are just checking us out. In this fun, 8-hour class, join fiber artist Irene Heckel-Volpe as she teaches you how to create a beautiful needle felt painting of these special moments.

You’ll begin with a sheet of partially felted wool and a simple photo of a curious bear. Then, you’ll attempt to recreate the picture by “painting it” in fiber—using your creative license, of course! You’ll learn how to shade the bear by using carders/brushes to blend colors of fiber and show texture and depth by using subtle increases and decreases in colors. Then, you’ll give your bear personality by working on details: eyelids, ears, and, especially, eyes.

You’ll leave the class with a beautiful 8”x10” painting that can be matted with an 11 x 14 mat and framed.

For more information, visit the Purple Crayon website: www.purplecrayonavl.com/workshops.