My textile life started at school when I embroidered a pear on the pocket of my school apron. I loved decorative sewing, but have avoided practical sewing ever since. I joined the Embroiderers Guild of Victoria in my early 20's where I immersed myself in both traditional and contemporary embroidery techniques. In 1989 I enrolled in a Wearable Art course at the Canberra School of Art and had my accidental introduction to feltmaking. I say accidental because I had no idea what felt making was, it was just part of the course. It was chunky, coarse and very wet, but there was something about the process of turning wet wool into felt that had me intrigued. I suppose I'm an embroiderer first and a felt maker second because I do love to stitch my felt.

It wasn't until 1997 that my path led me to a class with Jeanette Appleton from the UK, who taught me the art of making fine felt, very tidily with little water, and showed me the endless possibilities of this ancient form of textile. Next my friend Nonie Bridgland and I joined the Victorian Feltmakers Inc. and to our delight discovered a wonderful sharing group that welcomed and encouraged us to have a go. The most lasting affect on me and my work has come from the tutors I have worked with including Martine Van Zuilen, Molly Littlejohn and Jeanette Appleton, and from my felt making friends, most notably Nonie.

After years of attending workshops, entering my work in exhibitions and experimenting with various felt techniques, I started to teach basic felt making classes with Nonie for the Victorian Feltmakers Inc. I enjoyed the teaching and was encouraged by my friends and family to pursue this more seriously. I set up my business "Felt Good", primarily to teach feltmaking and secondly to promote and sell my work. This has been a wonderful adventure, teaching in a wide variety of venues including the Embroiderer's Guild Victoria, the Victorian Feltmakers Inc, private businesses, working with primary school children (Artist in Residence), teaching in my own studio, in country locations and at Holmesglen Institute of TAFE where I established a short evening course.

I get excited about colour and pattern in my work, and I love working with wool. I love to see the build up of a design and the possibilities of layering and building in stages that is so intrinsic to felt and collage. (I like collage with mixed media too!) Mostly I love to stitch, because the felt is so textural and beautiful to hold.

I get a big buzz from being part of the current trend in promoting feltmaking as a craft and art form - to see an ancient craft become reborn and to see the fabulous things that people are doing with it, is very exciting. Working with adults and children who come up with new ideas and techniques to explore, is a very sharing way to work. As felt making becomes more popular and people actually know what you're talking about when you say, "I make felt" I feel I am contributing to the development and awareness of my craft.

ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES & HIGHLIGHTS

Member of Embroiderers Guild since 1986

1991 / 1992 - "Art & Design for Embroiderers" a 2 year certificate course at Deakin University, Burwood Campus

Member of Victorian Feltmakers Inc. since 1997 - current role as Vice President

2000 - Winner of Embroiderers Guild, Victoria - "Embroidery with Wool" prize

2003 & 2004 - "Mythical Felt Creatures" short felt projects with students at Lloyd Street Primary School, East Malvern

2003 - Established "Felt Good", my own business teaching basic and advanced feltmaking and textile classes at various venues

2004 - Introduced a short course in felt making at Holmesglen TAFE, Moorabbin Campus

2005 - Artist in Residence at Lloyd Street School, East Malvern

2006 - Published the book "Felt" with Penguin Books

I have exhibited with Embroiderers Guild of Victoria, Victorian Feltmakers Inc., Lumina Gallery, National Wool Museum Geelong and various group exhibitions.

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Contact Robyn by email or phone 03 9885 6440