Madelynn Kulmus - Project #1 - Extraterrestrial Cocoon

July 2 

Self-Assessment Questions

1. Artist Influence
   Which artist did I draw inspiration from for this piece, and how did I interpret their techniques, themes, or forms in a way that feels unique to my own practice?

   I drew inspiration from two fiber artists, Andrea Graham and Gillian Chapman. Graham’s bold, textured sculptures fascinated me because they seem like they could exist in nature, even though they clearly don’t. Her pieces balance between familiar and otherworldly that I wanted to bring into my own work. Chapman’s Seeds & Pods series showed me how textile art can suggest growth, evolution, and transformation without directly imitating actual plants. From both artists, I learned how fiber can embody the idea of life cycles and metamorphosis. I carried these influences into my imagined life forms that are part seed, part cocoon, maybe even part creature. I gave them personality and energy through form and color.

2. Technical Growth
   What new techniques or materials did I explore in this sculpture? How did I push beyond what I already knew, and where do I see evidence of growth in my craftsmanship?

   This was my first time sculpting an entire form using only felt, without relying on a styrofoam base. That was a big shift for me, and I think it pushed my skills quite a bit. I used thin layers of felt to build shape and volume, learning how to create depth and roundness through careful layering and shaping. It was challenging at times, especially when the form wasn’t matching the sketch exactly, but I adjusted as I went. I also explored adding openings and more abstract features to suggest movement and life. Looking back, I see growth in how confidently I handled the medium especially in shaping and firming the structure.

3. Material Relationship
   How did I balance fiber with any other materials I incorporated? Did I consider texture, weight, and structure in how these materials interact? 

   This piece is made entirely from felt, so the relationship between fiber and form became really important. I paid a lot of attention to how the texture and softness of the felt could enhance the organic and otherworldly feel I wanted. I used contrasting colors and varying thicknesses to emphasize certain features and suggest natural transformation. Even though I didn’t end up adding other materials, I considered texture, weight, and structure at every stage especially in making sure the piece held its shape while still feeling soft and alive.

4. Conceptual Development
   What idea, feeling, or narrative am I communicating with this work? How clearly does the sculpture reflect that intention? 

   The main idea behind this piece was transformation, like a life form evolving or coming into being. However, due to the time limit, I decided to only create the last stage, the green and turquoise pod. I imagined this piece as a kind of alien plant or cocoon, something suspended between natural and imagined worlds. The final sculpture includes an additional side opening and an inner space, which I think really supports that idea. I also made sure to keep the waft of felt in the bottom hole of the pod. I knew this slight addition would definitely make my piece feel alive. This piece may not tell a literal story yet, but I think the abstract, surreal quality invites viewers to interpret their own meaning, which feels true to the concept I had in mind.

5. Craft and Detail
   Did I demonstrate care in construction and finishing details? Did I include a complete color inventory and think intentionally about scale, stability, and presentation? 

   I feel really proud of the care I put into constructing this piece. Even though I had to cut a few elements, like the purple spots and possible seed due to time constraints, I made sure that the details I did include were thoughtful and well executed. I chose a color palette that was vibrant and intentional, pulled from my sketch and materials I sourced myself. The transition from green to turquoise is carefully placed and is true to the original sketch. I also paid attention to scale and form stability, especially as I shaped the upper stem and reinforced weak areas. Overall, I think the craftsmanship shows my attention to both design and detail.

June 30

Final Piece!

June 29

I am nearly done with the plant/cocoon now, the base is done. While finishing the base form, I added a hole in the side to add to the abstract and alien feel. I don’t think I am going to add the purple spots to my piece due to time limitations. However, I am going to add the wispy felt to the bottom hole and possibly in the smaller hole. I also want to fix the upper stem portion by making it thicker because it still feels flat. I haven’t used only felt to create the shape before, so I think it's looking really alive. When I first did felt I used a styrofoam base and added felt to that. Overall, I really enjoy how this piece is turning out. 

June 22

Here is the first update on my naturalistic/abstract subject. I like to think of this creation as an alien plant/cocoon. So far, I have gotten a nice base shape and the form is firm. I have been layering thin wafts of felt to create the form. This has been creating the depth and roundness I want in my pod. The form is a tad off from my sketch but I do plan on filling out the green portion and turquoise parts. After I fill out the pod shape I plan on adding purple spots like designed in the sketch. I also may create a seed to go inside either the green portion or the blue depending on the time it takes to create the main form. 

June 16 

After our first discussion and some in depth research, I knew I wanted to start with something rooted in nature, but also have an abstract feel. I was drawn to the idea of working with organic shapes, something that felt alive and maybe even a little strange. I have always strived to create pieces that feel and look unique. When I came across the work of Andrea Graham, I started to get inspired. Her sculptures are very bold and textured, and they somehow feel like they could exist in nature, even though they clearly don’t. That balance between familiar and otherworldly really stuck with me. I was also inspired by Gillian Chapman, her Seeds & Pods series showed me how textile art can suggest growth, evolution, and organic transformation without directly mimicking the natural world. Both artists helped me see how fiber can embody themes of life cycles and metamorphosis.

So, I started sketching and playing with forms that felt like pods or vessels, things that could be growing or transforming. I ended up designing three different kinds of pods, each with its own personality. The yellow pod is how this cocoon starts off. Then it transitions into the blue and orange and finally finishes as a completely open pod. I imagined these as abstract life forms, part seed, creature, and cocoon. They're not meant to be realistic, but they’re definitely meant to feel alive in some aspect.

Color became a huge part of the process too. I went to Hobby Lobby in search of felt and found a pack of bright and vibrant colors. Personally, I enjoy using lively colors in my pieces to make them stand out and look unique. The contrast between the colors that I use in my sketch helps emphasize the shapes and textures, and I think it gives them a sense of movement or energy, even when they’re still.

I also thought a lot about how these forms would be displayed. I couldn’t decide whether to make one large, grounded piece or several smaller ones that hang from above. The hanging pods feel delicate, almost like specimens or suspended creatures/plants. But the idea of one large pod has more weight and presence. I’m still figuring that part out, but both options help express themes of growth, mystery, and transformation.

Overall, this piece became a way for me to explore organic forms with a surreal twist, something that feels like it belongs in nature, even if it’s imagined.

ARTIST INSPIRATION: Andrea Graham ~ https://livingfelt.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/3648/

ARTIST INSPIRATION: Gillian Chapman ~ http://www.gillianchapmanfelts.info/2015/09/seeds-pods.html

Madelynn Kulmus - Project #2 - Blooming

July 28

Self-Assessment Questions

Artist Influence

For this piece, I was inspired by the work of Shana Kohnstamm and Erika Verzutti, both of whom explore organic forms with a strong sculptural presence. Kohnstamm’s Cretageaic Soft Structural works, such as Glass Eyed and Freckle Faced, encouraged me to shift away from decorative wire and instead focus on how felt alone could create structure and form. Her ability to craft cohesive, biomorphic shapes without visible support helped me reframe my approach to fiber. I also drew from Verzutti’s sculptures. She blends natural references with abstract, her tactile surfaces pushed me to think about how form, color, and surface texture could evoke both familiarity and strangeness. My piece reflects their influence but remains unique to my practice through its compact scale, vibrant color transitions, and visual narrative of internal growth and blooming.

Technical Growth

This project pushed me beyond my comfort zone and introduced me to new construction strategies. Instead of relying on wire as a visual and structural element, I restructured the piece using a styrofoam core in the base for internal lightness and stability. I also incorporated a small, hidden armature to join the flower form securely to the base. This allowed for upright movement without compromising the softness of the surface. These changes helped me explore how to combine sculptural engineering with fiber techniques. Additionally, I focused on advanced felting methods like blending gradients, forming layered shapes, and building tighter surface tension. This piece reflects a more refined sense of form and a noticeable improvement in both planning and execution compared to my earlier idea.

Material Relationship

Though wool remains the primary material, this piece required a thoughtful integration of styrofoam and armature to support the structure. I worked carefully to ensure that these non-fiber elements remained internal, preserving the felt’s soft visual while improving stability and form. I considered how weight and density would affect balance, using heavier felting toward the base and lighter, more flexible work in the flower. Texture, structure, and proportion were all intentionally developed to make the materials feel interconnected and invisible beneath the surface. The result is a sculpture that visually reads as a unified form, while subtly benefiting from internal support systems.

Conceptual Development

Conceptually, this sculpture centers on ideas of growth, emergence, and transformation. It’s meant to feel like an abstracted flower, or perhaps something more ambiguous, like a seedpod or alien organism similar to my first piece. The upward, blooming suggests energy and potential, while the grounded base keeps the form rooted in organic logic. The color palette, inspired by the vibrant movement of a lava lamp, reinforces that sense of internal change and evolution. What began as a more decorative or playful idea became, through revision and reflection, a more intentional exploration of form that mirrors both nature and a personal artistic development.

Craft and Detail

Careful craftsmanship and intentional finishing were central to this piece. I used nine distinct colors to establish both contrast and cohesion. The transitions between colors were blended gradually, echoing the feeling of natural change and upward energy. The sculpture holds to the dimensions I sketched, approximately 8 inches long and 4–5 inches in width, and sits with stability on its base. The surface is evenly felted, edges are clean, and the connection between the two main forms is secure and visually seamless. Small structural accents, like the yellow accents and contouring around the bloom, add complexity and interest. Overall, the piece reflects a more advanced level of detail, planning, and execution than my previous work, especially in how materials and form work together to communicate a clear idea.

Final Piece!

July 20

Here is an updated look at my reworked project. I started adding the bottom piece below my original felted section. It is still solid even though the base is styrofoam. The piece is currently 3.5 inches long and I plan to add about a 1/2 teaspoon of blended felting on the very end of this section. I say ‘1/2 a teaspoon’ because a 1/2 teaspoon has the perfect shape and equals about a 1/2 inch. Then I will be working on the purple/blue flower to go inside the hole of this bright bottom piece. I plan on making a longer sheet of felt and rolling it up into a warped flower. This warped flower will be about four inches long, making this piece 8 inches long in total. 

After my feedback session with Ashley and further reflection on the project guidelines, I decided to revise my original concept rather than start completely from scratch. I still wanted to incorporate some of the work I had already completed, especially the felt base I made last week, but I realized that my use of wire needed rethinking.

Originally, I planned to create a piece with wire spiraling around the felt, echoing the shape and feel of a lava lamp. However, through conversation and critique, I better understood how the exposed wire could undermine the richness of the wool. Instead of continuing in that direction, I shifted my inspiration more specifically toward Shana Kohnstamm’s Cretageaic Soft Structural pieces, such as Glass Eyed and Freckle Faced. These works feel more cohesive and refined, especially in how they use felt sculpturally without relying on wire to shape or define the form.

To add depth and meet the project’s expectations, I also brought in a second artist, Erika Verzutti. While her work is often grounded in sculpture rather than felt, I was drawn to the way she merges organic forms with unexpected textures and colors. Her ability to balance abstraction with references to plants, fruits, and bodily forms inspired me to think about my own piece as something that feels simultaneously familiar and otherworldly. I was especially interested in how her work plays with both smooth, biomorphic curves and subtly irregular, tactile surfaces, qualities I aimed to echo in my new design.

My revised piece is now more of an abstract flower form, grounded in soft sculpture but with a structural rhythm that mimics transformation and natural growth. I kept the vibrant color palette inspired by my lava lamp but I’ve added two additional hues to better differentiate the “base” of the form from its emerging shape. I want the sculpture to feel like it’s growing upward or blooming out, something abstract, but still rooted in nature similar to my first piece.

This updated approach feels more intentional and allows me to explore the expressive potential of felt on its own. I’m still thinking through some technical aspects, like advanced joinery, to help connect the two major components of the sculpture. I’m confident this revision better reflects the expectations of the assignment and my evolving understanding of sculptural form.

ARTIST INSPIRATION: Shana Kohnstamm

ARTIST INSPIRATION: Erika Verzutti ~ http://www.andrewkreps.com/artists/erika-verzutti 

July 13

This week I worked on the bottom felt piece. I was originally going to use all felt but I unfortunately do not have the quantity of colors for that so, I used styrofoam as the base. The styrofoam is still structurally sound because I have learned how to better layer my felt. I also began the wire caging around my felt piece. Currently the piece stands by itself and it is starting to feel alive. 

This will be due July 28th by 5pm. 

Before you dive into my answers, will you please paste the self-reflection questions again on here because I lost them while I was updating my last project. Also, if you’d like me to start over with this project I can do that and I apologize for not understanding the guidelines. Your self reflection questions/answers are on the first blog post.

Madelynn, I have left the closet open for you and Bethany a month ago -to get more roving?

I didn’t realize that we had access to your closet still, when you offered that option to us I was out of town for two weeks with my family so I just bought a pack of colored roving from Hobby Lobby. I also have been having trouble with my ID card recently so I will go to need to go to the technical people/support for help. Come in during the day.

How much time are you spending on this piece and what is the scale? 

I have spent at least 8-10 hours working on this so far. I had to really focus on creating a nice blend of colors  for the base piece. I also was working on the wire portion, I was trying to fit it around the felt piece while also having it stand on its own. In the sketch below, it shows that the piece was going to be 8 inches tall and 4-5 inches wide, but with all this information about the wire… I don’t know if I should just start from scratch or not. Sorry- I missed this!

Go back to the Poke em guideline rubrics that speak about incorporating new processes in your work.

For this sketch, the only added process I can think of doing is the advanced joinery. Maybe I could use that to connect the bottom felt piece to the top ball. I still don’t quite know how I would do that but maybe it is an option. 

Who is the other artist that you chose to incorporate per project guidelines? These choices by you will allow us to talk about where you are finding inspiration and what are reputable choices. 

I talked about my inspiration in the artist statement below. Her name is Shana Kohnstamm and I was inspired by her wire pieces as well as her flower-like totems and cretageaic soft structures. I liked her wire pieces because they not only looked really interesting but also because it was a material I had on hand. I was not planning on making a wire-cage and just shoving blended felt in. I was more using the wire to create a shape and space for the felt to come alive. I also wanted to try my hand at adding a new material to my piece while still having my main focus be on the felt. I didn’t want to do the flower like totems because I felt that it was too similar to my first piece. I am open to instead creating a cretageaic soft structure instead of a wire piece. This is up to you, but I do think you and your skills are beyond basic forms and wire working.

So if you look at the original assignment for the summer in wyocourses-it says for you to choose someone from my list, and then research an artist on your own and bring both in as inspiration. 

July 6

For this project, I found myself really drawn to the work of Shana Kohnstamm. Her soft sculptures, especially the ones using wire and wool stood out to me right away. She builds these organic forms that feel alive, even though they’re made from such simple materials. I also loved her solitary flower-like totems and her cretageaic soft structures. I enjoy the way her work feels both whimsical and grounded at the same time. These second choices have more skill than those with the wire. Unfortunately, wire can appear cheap and take away from the richness of the wool. I am happy to see your form is actually felted where hers are not in the wire pieces. The roving is simply shoved in the wire and looks as if it was which is not a good thing. 

I agree that her wire pieces look simple and cheap when the roving is just shoved into the wire. However, I was amazed by her wire structures and wanted to add that to my piece while still focusing more on the felting portion, but that can be changed.

Around the same time, I had also just gotten a new lava lamp, and honestly, I couldn’t stop watching it. There’s something so hypnotic about the way the blobs of melted plasma move, how they rise and fall slowly, stretching and breaking apart in these smooth, rounded shapes. It’s peaceful, but also kind of mysterious and eye-catching. The colors in my lamp use bright pinks, oranges, purples, and yellows, which I have in my inventory and they also make a great color scheme. These colors are perfect for this kind of soft sculpture, and I realized I wanted to try and bring living and moving energy into my piece.

This is a difficult feat as we are attracted to a lava lamp due to the liquid and movement and light that is incorporated. I would have chosen something else for you to push your skills, so think about this so you are improving with each piece you make. I think the work may be stronger if we cannot see the wire. 

I thought my idea was going to push my skills in balance and form, but perhaps it doesn’t do that like I originally thought. If you’d like me to change my sketch/idea, I can do that. If you have any suggestions on perhaps making this piece without the wire that would be really helpful. 

When I saw how Shana uses wire to shape and hold her forms, I immediately thought about making something that felt like a lava lamp, but abstract, something that captures the feeling, just not the look. That’s how I came up with the idea for this sculpture. The base starts with hard felt, representing something solid or heavy, maybe even the beginning of a transformation. As the shape moves upward, the felt gets looser and wispier, like it’s evaporating or changing form. At the very top, there’s another hard felt ball, which almost feels like the result of that journey, a new form that’s risen from the base and solidified again.

The wire spiraling around the piece holds everything together. It reminds me of the glass of a lava lamp, it doesn’t stop the movement, but it does contain it. I also thought it would be challenging to add another material such as wire to the piece. To me, this piece tells a little story of growth, movement, and transformation. It’s abstract, but personal. It feels like something that’s both grounded and reaching upward, something soft, strange, and alive.

ARTIST INSPIRATION: Shana Kohnstamm