Home Depot - Americana

My local Home Depot Store had created this display of petunias for the Fourth of July Weekend.  I liked it.  I observe that even thought there are only 9 stripes instead of 13 and the stars are only suggested, it strongly holds the archetype of the USA flag. 

Tucson felting class with Martien van Zuilen

This summer a group of us gathered in Tucson to work with Martien van Zuilen.  Martien is from Perth, Australia and regularly comes to the US to teach felting classes.  This was her first time to Arizona. 

Two three-day classes were held. One on making felted jewelry and the other on making a felted mandala rug.  It was a very hot time in Tucson but we all persevered and created many beautiful pieces.  But beyond this we learned many techniques, that can be applied to our felting efforts in the future.We learned to appreciate traditional felting practices.  For many of us, it was a new experience to felt something to a very hard stage.  Doing this in the Tucson heat, pushed many of us to the brink.... Here is some of our work.

Felted Hat

This summer, I helped a friend make a felted hat.  She was very creative and unique in her design.  She laid out the wool in a wide rectangle, 4 criss-crossing layers, then we lightly felted this before placing it on a hood form to begin to establish the 3 D form.  Then we placed the felt onto a hat form.  She added pre-felts of leaves and berries, added an interior hat band, an edge trim and more.  The result was beautiful.

Pink Cactus

pink cactus against an adobe wall

Tucson cactus at twilight

There is a variety of the prickly pear cactus, that actually has lavender/pink leaf pads.  It is particularly abundant in Southern Arizona.  I took some pictures on a very warm Tucson eve.  For me, it is a quintessential image of the southwest.  I think of this fruit that some of us harvest, to make juice or jam.  Being very careful to pick it with prongs so as not to get numerous nearly invisible little prickly hairs in your fingers.  The fruit/flower is eaten by a little beetle called cochineal, this creature has been traditionally harvested, ground up and used to make a pink/magenta dye for cloth.  As I look at these pictures, I think also of the native bird life that evening, so different from my mountain home.  Here quail are much more abundant, and there was the call of an evening bird, almost like a night hawk, which we do not have in the high mountains.  Do you like the pictures? 

Tucson

Some of us have gathered in Tucson this week to participate in a felting workshop.  Martien van Zuilen from Perth is here; her last week of a 3 month teaching trip in the States.  The first 3 day class was on making felted jewelry, now a day off before the felted mandala class begins.  Pictures will come soon.  I'm improving my felting skills, primarily learning to make felt much denser than I am accustomed to doing.   Sometimes one takes such an intensive workshop, and your own artwork takes on a whole new and unexpected direction.  A direction not necessarily parallel to what you have just learned.  Ever have that happen? 

We're at Spirited Hands Studio - a felting studio run by Sally Hall and Susan Thompson, the whole studio is filled with hand felted items, their style is wild with color and a nice loose design that fits this hot desert city.  It has been 110 or higher nearly every day.... There is a different species of prickly pear cactus that grows here, the leaf flaps are a dusty rose-pink-lavender, against the grey-green - desert green. Particularly at dusk so beautiful, pics of that soon too. And so unusual to see chains of East-West  mountains in the U.S. but in Tucson, the Catalina Mountains on the north edge of the city, grace the horizon in this direction, changes how light falls upon the city. 
Here's a link to the felting studio, check it out. http://www.spiritedhandsstudio.com/

Santa Fe Adventure Begins



Collage of images from Santa Fe

 So after re-modeling my studio this summer (bigger and more interesting space to do my art projects and to teach workshops) an opportunity came to move to Santa Fe and to work full time at a job I love.  It is a 2 year commitment, an adventure, placing my dear house in good hands, I'm preparing to move to the oldest city in North America.  Exciting, scary, exhilarating all at the same time.  Know that feeling?  But first sorting through the stuff of life, what to take, what to store, what to give away.  Wondering if I will ever live in this dear house and wonderful town again.

Three Swans Felted Tapestry



Three Swans Felted Tapestry



Three Swans, are they past, present and future?  They swim along a channel of Willow Lake, in my imagination, near them is a tree filled with nesting cormorants and deeper into the channel are a group of cottonwood trees filled with nesting great blue heron.  It is a place of incredible activity that generates alive peace.  

Isis felted tapestry and more

There are two images here. One a felted tapestry of Isis.  The other image is the tapestry taken through the wizardry of photoshop; I developed the image in camera raw then used a levels adjustment, underpainting, finding edges, glowing edges and some blending modes. 

The felted tapestry was inspired by an image on Dennis Klocek's web site when he was offering a workshop on Isis.  I was drawn to the image and made a copy of it as a felted tapestry. The image helped lead me to finding a way to be able to enroll and participate in a class Dennis offers at Rudolf Steiner College called 'Consciousness Studies'.  The class is held every autumn for about 14 weeks.  The class and group effort planted many seeds for change and personal integration.  

For me in this image, Isis is transforming from a being of the earth and water,  alchemically gathering facts and noting changes, then as her wings expand and are filled with golden light, she readies for flight in the air and through fire.  It is an alchemical image of transformation, of working through all that reverses and then is able to go through the eye of the needle.  Dennis is a fine teacher of new Alchemy working with the principles of Biodynamic farming, Goethean observation, and the Rosicrucian path all referencing the work of Rudolf Steiner.  A link to Dennis's site is: http://dennisklocek.com/home 



Original Felted Tapestry of Isis




Felted Tapestry modified with Photoshop filters



I love receiving comments

C -   champions cycles of creative craft
  O -   onlookers open their optical observations
     M -    measures the magic of mercurial moments
        M -     moves melodious mythic memory
      E -      energizes emerging eddys
     N -   nourishes nuances now
  T -   treks and trails of trembling treasure
S -   spirals serendipity's stellar song

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo hand felted tapestry

I've just finished a felted tapestry of Frida Kahlo.  This effort took some time, I had worked on it months ago and then needed to put it down for awhile.  Now her portrait has reached a level of completion. She has become an iconic figure,  there are moments when I strongly relate to her story, her artistic journey, her challenges.

Summer Classes

I'm teaching a few classes this summer of 2011.
For Adults
Felter's workshop: Fish or Fowl - we'll make several felted birds and fish, could be made into a mobile. Saturday July 16
Felter's workshop: Felted Purses - we'll make a felted purse using a resist, we'll also inlay pieces of silk fabric.  July 23
Felter's workshop: Nuno Felted Scarf - introductory class on nuno felting Saturday August 6

For Children:
July 18-22, 9 till noon
Frogs, Fish, Butterflies, Snails, Turtles and Lizards.  We'll hear stories, learn poems, and sing songs of the animals of summer.  Then we will paint, draw, felt, stamp and collage these creatures.  Last day up at a mountain park to join parents for a picnic lunch and display our artwork.

July 25-29, 9 till noon
A Summer Puppet Show. During this class we will create puppets and scenery, practice the script and songs for a summer puppet play.  On the last day of the class we will put the play on for parents and friends.  This class includes dramatic performance, painting, singing, sewing and felting to make the puppets.

Send me a message if you would like more information

Nuno Scarf Close Up - Student Work

Nuno scarf close-up

we used silk gauze, merino wool and silk fiber that gives a shiny luster

I'll be teaching another introductory nuno class on August 6, 2011.  It is being offered through the Mountain Spinners and Weavers Guild.  Here are a couple of photos of closeups of Sandy's scarf that she made during the last class.  Please contact me if you would like to come.

Felted slippers - creating a perfect pattern



A first felting project

 Yesterday I taught a felted slipper class.  In search of the perfect  dimensions for creating a pattern - I learned a lot yesterday.  It seems if you trace around your foot, then extend those dimensions 2" at the toe and heel, taper the dimension to 1 1/2" at the sides, you will be close. Would anyone be interested in a tutorial on making slippers?  Here are a pair made by an adult student yesterday. This project was her very first felting project.  Aren't they beautiful?

Felted Boots for Daniel

Daniel's elf boots

made for a friend at Christmas Tide

One of my favorite felting projects were these boots that I made for my friend Daniel. It was Christmas time, I had enlarged the pattern, as the orginal pattern idea made slipper boots too tight fitting.  So these boots at first were enormous, I made them much too big.  Giant sized actually.  I spent hours rubbing them, dousing them in cold and hot water and then finally throwing them with great force upon cement pavers to get them to shrink enough.  He loves them, calls them his 'elf boots'.  Oh but what work went into them.  I now have perfected the pattern and can make felted boots or slippers fit more easily for anyone!  Come to a class or commission me to make a pair for you!

giveaway results

two white star flowers

Thanks to all of those who

came to the art show and

to all of those who particiated

in the give away. 

Pat B. from Prescott won the flower pin

Michelle S. from blog participation won

the silk scarf.

Congrats!..

Another give-away coming soon.

Mountainmonsoon17

persephone's garden

So she gets a fast ride down into the underworld and becomes Hades' woman.  After ranting and raving over her plight,  she actually kind of likes it there.  She is loved, cherished, for the lost souls see her as their light.  She shows them a way.  She plants a garden, for every woman plants a garden.  Here be two flowers that grew in Persephone's garden.  She tended it well.

First Give Away

Between April 23 and May 10, I'm having my first 'Give-Away'.  A hand made felted flower pin and a hand dyed silk scarf.  I'll ship each of these items free, if you are one of the winners and do not live locally. It's in connection with my Spring Artist's Open House, which happens on May 7 and 8 from 1 - 4 pm.  There are lots of ways to enter!  You can enter more than once if you like.
How to enter for the Mountain Monsoon 17 Give Away:

1.   Leave a comment on my blog during the time interval.

2.   Become a follower to this blog site.

3.   Be the first to answer one of these questions (leave the answer as a comment on the blog) (Clue - go to my ETSY site and check out the treasuries and my favorites, this will help with most of these questions)
      A. What is he in pursuit of?
      B. What is he juggling?
      C. Where are her shoes from?
      D. What does he give her?
      E.  Name one of my favorite shops.
      F.  What is my favorite number and why?
      G.  What do the trees whisper?
      H.  What do we sip?
       I.   There are two pairs of shoes of secondary colors, and two gems of the same colors.
             what are the two colors?  what are the names of the two gems?

4.   Leave a new comment on one of the Etsy Treasuries.

5.  COME TO THE OPEN HOUSE

Have Fun!



An Open Door to the Sea



Spring Open House - Felting, Dyed Silks and Photography



ONE THOUSAND FLOWERS - ARTS OPEN HOUSE

 I'm Hosting an Open House,'ONE THOUSAND FLOWERS' this spring to show new felting work, dyed silks and photography.  Come on over and check it out.

Sparrow plus Daisy equals something new



Little sparrow

 For some seeking the inner path, the sparrow or perhaps the chickadee represents a stage of development when one can talk to everyman, without judgement or blame, understanding how it is with each one.  To the Native American, the chickadee is able to unite all the people, is welcomed at all campfires.  Chickadee makes a medicine in the moment out of its own wound to serve and heal the other. 


Daisy Flower


  In the plant kingdom, the daisy, representative of the Composite  plant family, some would say is the most evolved flower family.  This is so, because each flower is really a composite of 100's of flowers, as  they share only one ring of petals, instead of each separate flower having its own ring of petals.  This makes the flower a community of flowers, that cooperates with each other for the greater good. 


Sparrow and Daisy




So today I ponder and hold close sparrow and daisy, ever striving.  Some pictures for you.

Cosmic Cadillac

It is a warmish spring day, with gusts of wind, the cherry and plum trees have been in bloom, their tender green leaves are just starting to appear, walking down at the 'Square' of our town.   And then there it is, the Cosmic Cadillac parked across from the old Post Office.  Does every town have a car or two like this one?  I sure hope so.

Dragons and Princesses - Rainer Maria Rilke

a photo manipulation of a Sphinx from Delphi, Greece

a montage from Greece

"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love."
— Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring into Summer Felting Classes

                  Spring Felting Classes

                       Offered by Sharon McFeely

Seven class dates are being offered for Spring.   If the dates do not work for you, think about bringing together a few friends and we will create a class for you. What about having a felting –party-class?   If you live out of town, I can travel, packing my little Honda Civic to the brim.   Register soon to reserve your space. This is the last class flyer I’ll offer till late summer.  I’m hoping to enlarge my studio space this summer.  What fun!

check out  this blog to see samples of projects

Felted Beads  Two class dates to choose from:

Saturday April 9; 9 am till 1 pm  OR Thursday April  21; 9 am till 1 pm

New expanded format! With a little more time, we can learn four techniques for felting beads. I’ll show you how I string them with glass and wood beads.  You could use these beads to embellish a hat, shawl, to make a pin, to put on a purse, along with many other creative uses.  All materials and supplies provided.  4 hour class.  $45.00 Class size 3-6  bring a snack

Nuno Felted Scarf Class. Two dates to choose from:  Friday April 29;  9 – 2 pm  OR  Saturday, April 30;  9 - 2 pm (half hour lunch)  This is so much fun!  A new felting technique of felting wool onto a sheer fabric (we’ll use silk).  As the wool felts, it shrinks and creates interesting puckers in the silk, creating a beautiful draped scarf.  All materials and supplies provided.  4 ½ hour class.  $75.00  Class size 3-4

Felted Flowers  Tuesday, May 3; 9 am – 12:30.  During this class we will create a bouquet of flowers, learning 3 or more techniques for creating flowers, leaves and stem.  $40.00 class size 3-6

Felted Slippers,  Saturday May 21; 9 am till 3 pm During this class you will create a beautiful pair of soft merino wool slippers. $75.00 class size 3-5

Felted Hats, Saturday Sunday May 22;  9 am till 3 pm  During this class you will design and complete a felted hat you can choose to make a hat with or without a brim.  The hat will be made from merino wool with the option of shiny silks placed into the top layer.  We’ll use a combination of needle felting and wet felting techniques to make our hats.  This is so much fun.  $75.00  class size 3-5

Come and felt this spring and summer !

To Register:

1. Give me a call or email, and let me know which class (es) you would like to attend.  Phone: 928-776-8014; email: mountainmonsoon@yahoo.com 

2. Then send me a $25.00 deposit to Sharon McFeely at 515 Oak St Prescott, AZ 86303. . 

With your deposit your enrollment is firm, if you need to cancel,  please give a 1 week notice in order to receive a refund.  If minimum enrollment for a class is not reached, I will contact you and refund your deposit.

Thank-you  Sharon

P. S. 

I’m having an open house on Mother’s Day Weekend;  May  7^th and 8^th from 1-5 each day.

I’ll be showing lots of new work.  I hope you can stop by.  Thanks, Sharon

The Swan - Kabir

Swan, I'd like you to tell me your whole story!
Where you first appeared, and what dark sand you are going
toward,
and where you sleep at night,
and what you are looking for....
It's morning, swan, wake up, climb in the air, follow me!
I know of a country that spiritual flatness does not control,
   nor constant depression,
and those alive are not afraid to die.
There wildflowers come up through the leafy floor,
and the fragrance of " I am he" floats on the wind,
There the bee of the heart stays deep inside the flower,

and cares for no other thing.

Rock Cairns- a Balancing Act



with a few filters; rock and tree



I see an ancient profile here



For some years, along a bend of city road, where the light industrial park of my city is located, there has been someone who regularly builds rock towers, rock cairns.  These are balanced with care and often stay suspended for weeks at a time.  But who built these was always a mystery.  Then today in the late afternoon sun, out on a photo shoot, I came upon the builder.  Wow what a treat.  Driving by these statues of stone, over the last years, I felt how the towers would balance my soul, the heaviness of the rock suspended by various fulcrum points, helps me to reach another layer of balance. The individual who builds these, also experiences this.  Imagine lifting these stones, finding just the place where interconnected balance is achieved.  Imagine seeing light shine through, shadows cast upon the plane of balance.  Imagine the peace that is achieved.  I wonder if the rock begins to speak to you? 

I wonder if patience and understanding grows within you , a gift given back for your effort. 

<>

thank you to Steve, the builder

A Keen Interest

Walking along a hiking path, I came upon a young mother and her son.  He was entranced by a fresh hole in the ground.  Probably dug by a ground squirrel or perhaps inhabited by a gopher snake.  He would drop stones into the hole, peer into it, put his ear to it.  His fascination and attention to this was unending and a simple and pure adventure in exploring nature.  And mother allowed him the time and space to explore.  The ability to attend so completely is a trait to be cultivated. This young child's will, and sensory perception and feelings were all in sinc.  It was inspiring to be there with him.

Martien van Zuilen felting workshops in Tucson,AZ June 25 - July 1, 2011

Pin

Petal Brooch

Mandala



Corded Aqua Necklace



Mandala

 This summer, Sally Hall of Tucson and I are hosting Martien van Zuilen to come and offer two 3-day felting workshops.  Martien is an international felting teacher from Australia.  The workshops will occur the last week in June 2011 in Tucson, Arizona.  One 3 day workshop (June 25-27)will feature making felted jewelry, during the other 3 day workshop (June 29,30 July 1) we will make a felted mandala. The Mandalas are approximately 4 feet in diameter to start with before the felting process begins. Please write to: Mountainmonsoon@yahoo.com for more information on the workshops. Registration is occurring now.