Seminar/Workshop General Information
Hands On Study Hour (For Guild Meetings/Conferences)
This lecture seeks to answer such questions as how
and why wool felts; which fleece should you choose for which kind of project;
and what do the properties of wool mean to the finished felt? There is
also any overview of felt from around the world, both contemporary and
traditional. I feel like this is one of the most important lectures I
give, as it sets the groundwork for understanding about feltmaking. (Up to
300 people, all levels)
Lamination? Nuno? Felting Needles? Felting
Machines? Just what are the trends in contemporary feltmaking? Come and see how
felters are using new technology with this ancient craft in the 21st century.
(Up to 300 people, all levels)
In this slide lecture, the early history of
feltmaking and the traditional forms of felt which still exist today are
shown. Feltmaking was and is a major textile in Central Asia. With various
conquerings and migrations, the process moved into Scandinavia, the Middle-East,
Europe, and the New World. The felt carpets of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia
and Kashmir are incredibly beautiful. The felt tent (yurt) coverings of Turkey,
Afghanistan and Turkistan are intricately patterned and rich. The shepherds
garments (kepeneks) of Turkey and Iran are practical and durable. This lecture
shows examples of this wonderful textile and its history. (Up to 300 people,
all levels)
This is a slide lecture which is about using inlay techniques for controlling
the image making in felt. Inlaid designs are ones which are part of the felt
itself, not applied to the surface after the felt is made. The lecture uses
slides of actual process and contemporary artists works, to illustrate the
various ways of doing inlaid felt such as negative/positive, jig-saw puzzle,
half-felt, wet and dry inlay. The slides will also show different methods of
making flat sheets of felt by hand. In addition, a few surface application
techniques will be shown. (Up to 300 people, all levels) requires two projectors
and screens.
This slide lecture covers the various aspects
of feltmaking which help the felt to function well. These include choosing
the correct fleece for the planned project, using the correct felt-making
procedure for that fleece and finishing the object. In addition, I will show
slides of garments, rugs and wall pieces done in felt. (Up to 300 people,
all levels)
Fabulous Felting Needles
Well-known to the textile industry for years,
but newly discovered by the home-craft community; felting needles are a miracle
tool for attaching hair to rag dolls, fixing felting mistakes, making
“pre-felts”, creating fiber sculpture and much more. In this slide
lecture/demonstration, I will show many methods of using these needles for the
home felter. (Suitable for small groups, all levels)
The felting needle has opened up a new world for feltmakers. By using
these needles and combining them with traditional wet-felting techniques, one
can make photo-realistic images in felt. Pat has developed methods for making
these realistic images even if you don’t know how to draw. Come see how she
does this. (Up to 300 people, all levels) See her gallery page for
images using this felting method. Gallery
of Patricia Spark
Located in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is a melting pot of cultures. The people
are highly skilled in feltmaking. Traditionally, they made wonderful felt
carpets and yurts which are still in production and because of their felting
knowledge, the Kyrgyz are entering the commercial world of the west with their
felt accessories, dolls and other items. This slide show will feature images
of felt from Pat’s recent visit to this country. (Up to 300 people, all
levels)
This is a slide lecture which is specifically
about the three-dimensional feltmaking done in Scandinavia. The cold climate
calls for thick wool boots, hats, and mittens. The fleece they use is different
than that of North America, and it enables them to do some interesting felt
technique variations. (Up to 300 people, all levels)
Mosaic felts are beautiful patchwork textiles
made of handmade felt which are important in the lives of the nomadic peoples
of Central Asia. The mosaics are used in the yurt as walls, rugs, and sitting
cushions. In slides, the lecture will cover how they are produced, how they
are used, and some possible explanations for the ancient meanings of the
motifs used. These felts are unique, and are rarely known outside of Central
Asia. (Up to 300 people, all levels)
(THE LECTURES BELOW ON INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
ARE COMBINED INTO THE FOLLOWING LECTURE:)
When making textiles together with other people,
the fiber process itself becomes a universal language. Because feltmakers
often work in isolation when they are developing their techniques, the individual
felter's language can be a solitary one. When you come together with others
to share information and make felt together, amazing things can be learned.
Because of people's isolation, there is a tendency on the part of experienced
felters to think that their knowledge is the full extent of the knowledge
available. Others may be making felt totally unlike they are, using different
tools, methods and materials. What some people may believe to be commonplace
knowledge, is totally unknown in some other parts of the world. Even talking
to one another without actually making felt, can be misleading because sometimes
the words used to describe a process will have very different meanings from
one felter to the next. This slide lecture features the highlights of information
gathered since 1988, from several international felting events. (Up to 300
people, all levels)
This slide lecture
is about the Felting Symposium held in Tilburg, Holland,
at the Textile Museum. There were approximately 80 people from around the
world at this four-day event. Slides include the exhibition, and the processes
taught in the two days of workshops. Also included are slides of the two
'94 Hungarian Biennials, the International Mini-textile Exhibition and the
Hungarian Textile Exhibition. Some interesting felts were included in these
exhibitions as well as many wonderful tapestries. (Up to 300 people, all
levels)
This slide lecture covers the three major feltmaking
events which took place in Scandinavia in the 90's. (The International
Felting Festival in Korro, Sweden, The International Felters Conference
in Århus, Denmark and the International Felters Conference in Petajavesi,
Finland, 1999.) Felter's from all over the world came together
to exchange information, attend lectures, exhibit their work, and share
techniques. One of the exciting surprises was the wonderful three-dimensional
felt works being done by the Scandinavians. (Up to 300 people, all
levels)
This slide lecture covers the 5 week felter's
camp which was held in late summer, 1988. Felters from all over the world
came together to exchange information, make felt, and work on a traditional
yurt. There are slides of Hungarian textiles as well as slides of the techniques
and processes covered at the camp. In 2004, there was an anniversary of the
Hungarian Feltmaker's Camps of the 1980's. The images from this event have
been added to the first camp images. (Up to 300 people, all levels)
This slide lecture covers the week long handmade felt, hat makers symposium
held in the summer of 1998 in Lenzen, Germany. A group of professional
feltmakers from around the world met together to make felt hats for an
exhibition. Everyone had a unique approach to hat making and the resulting
exhibit was quite wonderful. (Up to 300 people, all levels.)
Lectures
(Professionalism)
This is a lecture on a simple method of building
and maintaining a portfolio. Portfolios are important for all fiber artists
who wish to show their work to galleries, or for commissions etc. This method
of making a portfolio is designed to take up as little time as possible,
so that the fiber artist can spend the time in his/her studio. (Up to 100
people, all levels)
This lecture covers a systematic approach to
building your resume through exhibiting your work. What kinds of exhibits
are there? Why should you exhibit? Where do find out about exhibits? When
do the exhibits occur? How do you enter an exhibit? There is no mystery about
this process. You can plan a strategy and achieve the goals you would like.
(Up to 100 people, all levels)
Hands On Study Hour (For Guild
Meetings/Conferences)
This hands-on miniworkshop will feature a new
approach to making handmade felt beads, bracelets and brooches. Merino felt
beads are wonderfully soft against your skin, but they hold their shape very
well. They are useful as decorations on hats, and purses; as buttons; as
beads for necklaces, bracelets, and earrings; or as anything your imagination
can come up with. This method will allow you to make several beads of the
same size with very little effort.
Participants will need a washcloth, a small towel, a bar of soap, a small
yogurt or cottage cheese container and space at a table to work on.
Materials fee = $1 per person.
There are many types of fleece available to
the fiber worker. Some of this wool will felt well while others will not
felt at all. How do you keep from being "burned" by buying a fleece which
does not felt well. How can you test your fleece at a conference or shop
to see if it will felt? Do you have fleece at home which you are unsure about?
Perhaps something someone gave you, but you have no idea what it is? Bring
it along to this hands-on study hour and Pat will show you the method for
testing it to see if it can be made into felt. Want to learn the method but
you dont have any wool to test? Pat will bring some wool for you to
practice on. Participants will need a washcloth, a small towel, a bar of
soap and a small yogurt or cottage cheese container.
Materials fee = $1 per person.
Well-known to the textile industry for years, but newly discovered by the
home-craft community; felting needles are a miracle tool for adding yarn or
fiber to a fabric background. Come and this marvelous tool with a fast
overview of its potential. Lesson takes 1 1/2 hours.
Materials fee: $10 per person which includes: felting needle sample pack (with 7
needles); dyed prefelt backgrounds; fiber.
FEES.....
Workshops = $350.00 (US Funds) per day; plus expenses, including travel and
room/board. The fee can be adjusted for conference situations. (For instance:
if all conference workshop leaders are to be paid the same amount).
Private instruction: Pat Spark teaches private felting, spinning or
weaving classes by appointment. Students can choose from one of the subjects in
the list of seminars and workshops (see below) or we can talk about special
interest areas which could be explored. Private instruction is $200 per day for
a 6 hour workshop. With 2-3 students the cost is $150 each per 6 hour day. If
a student wishes to meet on a weekly basis for an hour or so, the fee is $35 per
hour. Class times are arranged at the convenience of the student and the
instructor. A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to hold that date with the
balance due one week prior to class. Classes are held in Fine Fiber Studio, 604
SE 1st Ave.; Albany, Oregon. All materials and the use of tools are included
in the cost of the class.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS......
Workshops = No minimum, maximum 12 people, 13 in emergencies. (When this
happens, it is best to have a workshop assistant to handle the small problems
that come up.)
LENGTH OF TIME......
Workshops = at least 8 hours per day; (Such as 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.). (Some
people may need to go longer than 5:00 in order to get finished, but most
will finish by 5:00.) I often show slides during lunch, so it is good for
folks to have sack lunches. Don't forget that I need one too! I also like
the workshop organizers to have some wrapped hard candies, chocolates, apples
and/or other afternoon treats for the workshop participants. Feltmaking is
hard work, and people expend a lot of energy. A little bit of hard candy
or fruit to munch on as they are working may give them a little boost of
energy. For cleanliness, the snack should be wrapped.
Back to Top
Workshops, Feltmaking =
Workshops, Design =
Lectures =
Study Hours/ Set up needs for both study hours =
For participants materials/equipment needs, contact address below.
In the summer of 1999, I was fortunate
enough to visit and teach in Georgia. I worked with traditional people in the
Tusheti region of the Caucasus mountains and also with contemporary fiber
artists in the capital city of Tbilisi. Traditionally, the Georgians had a
very interesting way of decorating and using their handmade felts. While the
contemporary application of art imagery to this ancient medium of feltmaking
is really unique to this area. (Up to 300 people, all levels)
GENERAL INFORMATION
ON WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
Lectures/Study Hour = $200.00 (US Funds) plus expenses. The fee can be adjusted
for conference situations. (For instance: if all conference seminar leaders
are to be paid the same amount).
Lectures/Study Hour = See individual lectures for numbers.
Lectures = Unless otherwise stated, most lectures are for 1.5 hours, but
time can be adjusted to longer/shorter periods. (I actually prefer a 2 hour
format, but most groups prefer shorter times.)
Study Hour = 1- 1 1/2 hour.
SPACE NEEDS ......
Patricia Spark
Copyright © Spark Fiber Arts. All rights reserved.
Contact address: 1032 SW Washington Street; Albany, OR USA 97321
spark@peak.org
Revised: November 10, 2006