ART 4975: August 2025

August 16

I have been working a lot on the project this week. I made two more parts of the snake, finished the beadwork and felting, pieced everything together, and then added the stitching. I added a cardboard base to the back, and I’m still working on getting it ready to hang on a wall well. I might also need to go in and clean some edges up to make it nice and clean.

I decided to make beaded pods on the body of the snake, similar to how Amy Gross does her beading. Originally, I had a diamond pattern, but I like this better. I also added a little bit of a gradient to the end, which I liked better too. It took me a while to figure out a good pattern for the stitching, but I landed on straight lines in various directions. I think this fills the space well.

I used some mesh for cheeks for the mouth and a nail I had to go through the skull. I had to make a hole in the felt big enough for the nail, which was good practice in learning how to make holes with felt. I ended up adding a lot more beading around the edges of the skull after felting on my beaded fabric. that really filled in the space and made a nice skeletal outline.

I will be going in and cleaning up the fuzz, edges, and adding weight to the back for structure in the next few days.

August 10

Deadline for this last piece: August 20th. All three pieces should be in the sculpture room together. Titles included. And a final statement for the work you did this summer. I'll have a place for you to upload this.

My husband and I were on a road trip this week for a friend’s wedding, so I had to fit in work between driving and all the wedding activities. I was able to do some beading, but I realized that it takes a very long time! You might not guess it from the picture, but that took me several hours. I have almost finished all the beading for the face, but I will have to put in a lot more work next week (and today).

I found that beading on a flat piece makes it a lot easier to bed close together. I had a lot of fun learning how to bead and figuring things out like the pattern the beads can go in, how many beads can be placed at a time, and how to make them face the right direction. I am hoping with more practice will come more speed.

Don't you love saying husband. :) Life happens Bethany so no need to explain. I think a huge part of this process- summer school, is to figure out how to schedule this work into your life versus the other way around. This summer has been CRAZY for us with our son leaving for college at the end of this week. But I also need a break so my summer has work, but not like the fall and spring. In those semesters, I am all for the students, but summers have to be for my art and my family. Its a good balance for me.

I find that the longer something takes, the more you see the time in the work, and as a viewer- I want to look longer.

(So far I like the way the beads look like snake scales!)

So one way to do this is to bead on another material and sew that onto the head. Also think about finding beaded objects that you can appropriate. This works well in times of busy. Start collecting a bit so you have some options.

I felted the first beaded piece onto the head and it turned out good! I think I will try and cover most of the head in bead, but I might not use the same strategy for all of it. I was surprised how well it bent over the skull:

What reference images are you looking at? It looks a little like a duck. :)

August 3

For this project, I chose Amy Gross to be my inspiration. She makes nature inspired artwork that is usually in the form of a wall hanging. They have a grown quality to them and use a diverse amount of materials.

This artwork of hers, “ Cloche Blossom Biotope”particularly inspired me. I like the white beaded orbs incased in leaves. This one made me think of The Garden of Eden, so I was inspired to do my take on the fall of man. I designed a snake entailed in fig leaves sewn together inpsired by Genesis 3. I want my serpent to reflect the description of “An angel of light” from 2 Corinthians 11:14. Do do this, I want to mimic Amy Gross’ white beading, similar to this artwork above, on the serpent’s head. The fig leaves will be sewn together, referencing the clothing Adam and Eve made for themselves after they ate from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Bethany, what if the back portions were drawn or painted instead of built?Trying merging your 2d and 3d together.

This design will hung on the wall, so I will need to make sure to add a support on the back. It should fit in well with my other two projects, all with animals, nature, and a biblical theme. I may have to simplify the design of the snake due to time constraints (I have a very busy week coming up), but I will try to manage my time well and go from there. I’ve tried to get a good start in this week to help.

I think Amy Gross’ use of color across her portfolio is very strong. For that reason I chose another of her artworks for my color inventory:

I like the natural shades of green and the use of light lights and dark darks will help me demonstrate the theme of good and evil.

So far, I have constructed three segments of the snake, and the fig leaves. My plan is to bead the flat felted pieces, and then felt them onto the structure afterwards. This should give me better control over the needle.

For the leaves, I attempted to wet felt them first. I did some research on methods. My attempt is below. Unfortunately, I must have missed a step, because it ended up coming loose and falling apart. I had to start over and needle felt them instead. I think I needed to roll the wet felting more before letting it dry. But it did have a very cool effect while I was making it!

Did you break this apart already?

Self-Assessment Questions

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 Stephanie Metz and Louise Hibbert. From Metz, I borrowed her exploration of wool as a sculptural medium and her ability to create abstract, organic forms that feel simultaneously soft and alien. I interpreted this by shaping felt into a hybrid, otherworldly structure that invites light touch/holding. From Hibbert, I drew on her use of radial symmetry and spiny, starfish-like forms, translating her crisp, futuristic aesthetic into a fiber-based object with exaggerated points. By blending Metz’s tactility with Hibbert’s structured, marine-inspired designs, I arrived at a form that feels unique to my own practice, an abstract creature that seems alive but isn’t tied to any real-world organism.

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?

For this project, I expanded my technical approach by working with dry foam as an internal armature for the points. I found dry foam easier to carve and more effective in anchoring the points. I also experimented with stabilizing multi-limbed extensions, which was new for me. This required problem-solving; adding a fourth point for balance, adjusting lengths, and layering felt for firmness. These adjustments show my growth in engineering stability within sculptural felt work, as well as my willingness to adapt and refine my process when my original design didn’t function as planned.

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?

I used wool felt as the primary material, supported by a dryer ball for the core and dry foam as an internal armature for the points. The dryer ball provided a firm, lightweight center, while the foam allowed me to carve extensions that the felt could grip onto easily. However, I learned that the stability of dry foam depends a lot on how it’s carved, because my initial shapes were quite skinny, they became fragile under repeated needle piercings and eventually broke down a bit. If I had started with thicker forms, I think the structure would have held more securely. Despite this, the foam still gave me a workable base for attaching the limbs, and the felt adhered well. Overall, the combination of materials created a piece that is lightweight yet solid, with a solid surface and a structure that balances softness with form.

Conceptual Development

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

Conceptually, the work is about creating something that feels mysterious and alive, yet not tied to any recognizable species. I wanted it to live in the in-between, part sea creature, part alien organism. By making the form stand upright, I shifted it from a static tabletop object to something more active and creature-like, which enhances its sense of presence. The playful, glowing color palette furthers the idea of it being both approachable and uncanny. Overall, the sculpture communicates my intention to make a piece that invites curiosity and touch while resisting a clear definition.

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 demonstrated care in construction through my attention to stability, surface, and symmetry. While the points are not identical, I leaned into that irregularity as part of the abstraction. I chose my colors intentionally, yellow as a bold base, layered with gradients of blue to echo bioluminescence and connect back to Metz’s “Glow” series. The scale is about 8/9 inches which makes it feel approachable and hand-held, and the upright orientation adds personality and animation. The finishing details, clean felt layers, securely attached extensions, and a stable stance, show my commitment to presentation and refinement, even as I embraced asymmetry.

August 17

This week, I focused on finishing up my piece while incorporating the feedback I received last week. I needed to complete it by Monday the 18th since I’ll be out of town from the 19th through the 21st for a concert and a baseball game in Colorado, and I won’t be back before the project is due. To improve the design, I modified the piece so it stands upright instead of just sitting flat on the table. Originally, it had three points, but because they couldn’t be bent to balance properly, I added a fourth point in the back for stability. It only stands in a specific way since each point is slightly different, being carved by hand. At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d like how it looked standing up, but I actually prefer it this way. I especially like that each side feels unique and asymmetrical, which makes the piece more abstract and interesting.

Deadline for this last piece: August 20th. All three pieces should be in the sculpture room together. Titles included. And a final statement for the work you did this summer.

August 10

This week I focused on attaching the three points to the larger, firmer dryer-ball center. I used dry foam rectangles, carving them into tree-like shapes. This was my first time working with dry foam, and I actually prefer it over styrofoam—the felt adheres much more easily. I’m really enjoying the overall shape the piece is taking; it reminds me of a ninja star. Not sure this is a good thing. Stabilizing the three points has been challenging, but progress is steady. Once I wrap the tops of the points in blue felt, they should become much more secure. I may also trim the tops slightly to make all three points equal in height.

The tricky part about this piece is how grounded on the table it is. Is there a way for you to use the three points to change the orientation of the work from static to active? In other words, Mady, get it to stand up?

I would have liked you to have made at least one wearable piece. Read what I said to Bethany on her blog. the same goes for you. For all of us. You actually don't really know how much time it will take to create a wearable piece and you have full control over its scale and the mixing of materials. I hope you do try it sooner vs later.

August 3

This is what I have so far, I’ve started adding the yellow and outlining the form in preparation for the blue. I used a dryer ball as the base and am adding layers of yellow until it appears to be solid. Then with the remaining yellow felt I will start composing the three points.

Top

Bottom

For my third and final project, I chose to continue exploring abstraction as my central theme. Over the course of this Independent Study, I’ve found myself gravitating toward sculptural forms that feel organic yet mysterious, shapes that suggest life but aren’t tied to anything recognizable. As the course winds down, time becomes more limited, so I made the decision not to pursue a wearable costume piece for this project. However, the techniques I’ve learned throughout this process have only deepened my interest in wearable sculpture, and I hope to return to that idea in the future.

This piece draws inspiration from two artists whose work explores form and tactility in imaginative ways; Stephanie Metz and Louise Hibbert. Stephanie Metz’s In the Glow and Amorphozoa (Abstracted Creatures) series were particularly influential. Her abstract creatures feel simultaneously soft and alien, as though they’re alive but not of this world. I was especially intrigued by how she pushes wool into forms that seem biological but obscure. There’s also a strange intimacy in her work, especially in how she invites physical interaction. Her InTouch (Interactive Tactile Sculptures) gallery, where viewers are encouraged to handle the sculptures, stood out to me. I want my piece to offer that same level of interaction, inviting viewers to pick it up, hold it, and explore it with their hands.

My second inspiration came from Louise Hibbert, a professional maker who works with materials like wood, metal, and resin. She isn’t a felt artist, however her works are very unique and vibrant in color. I was immediately drawn to her Plankton and Pods series. Her forms reminded me of underwater life, especially starfish. Her work is delicate yet structured, and I loved how her shapes felt both futuristic and ancient, like specimens from an alien ocean. I pulled from her pieces with spines and radial symmetry to create my own hybrid form, an abstract starfish with exaggerated limbs and protrusions.

The final piece is imagined as being approximately 8 inches wide, composed in solid yellow felt with layered gradients of glowing blue. These colors are a direct nod to Metz’s Glow series but applied to a shape more reminiscent of Hibbert’s spiky pods. My intention is to create a piece that feels alive and tactile, mysterious yet approachable, something between sea creature and space organism, a blend of both artists’ voices filtered through my own evolving style.