Felted Fountain

I guess you know you've been MIA for too long when your own blog wants you to sign in.  Between the end of the school year and an extreme case of spring fever, I feel like I've been in a constant state of distraction.  I have a feeling that May does this to a lot of people and I am in good company.  

In an effort to regain focus, I've decided to use a couple days of my summer holiday to revamp my studio.  This seems to be an annual event for me.  I think my subconscious is stuck on the notion that with a little reorg, there is more space to be had in my one room studio.  My conscious however, knows that the only way to achieve space is to do some painful purging. 

The closet seemed like the place to start.  After pulling out a couple of big items, a six foot easel and a standing floor loom, I uncovered my felted fountain.  I went through a period of making felted structures.  I was obsessed with seeing how big a sculpture I could make, out of just wool yarn, that would maintain it's integrity without the assistance of any stiffeners or wire or anything else.  To be accurate, I should say fulled structures since I was working from crocheted fabric.  Everything was free-form, design on the fly, so I was always investing time without any guarantees of success.  This fountain was one of my faves and I have to say that it's in pretty good shape despite being unceremoniously stuffed in a closet.  

For anyone who's curious, the fountain stands 14 inches high with a base that's 15.5 inches in diameter.  The center part is about 5 inches in diameter.  Fountains became a theme because I found that I could make larger sculptures by bringing the shape up through the center.  It lended balance and support to the overall piece.  I also carried a running strand of yarn as I crocheted to add more stability and another dimension of color.  I had a good time with these projects because of the element of risk and the fulling process was creatively satisfying.  At times I felt more like a sculptor than a fiber artist.

My kids have a nautical themed bath, so what could be a more natural addition than a felted fountain filled with shells? Every loo has one of these, right?  Mainly, I just couldn't stuff in back into the closet or some random box.  I think my subconscious may be in the lead at this point.  I have a whole box of Hefty bags sitting on the floor of my studio with the plan to give away as much as I can.  So far, I haven't opened it.  It's an internal battle of wills and I hope my practical side wins.