I began a new series of work in January. My group the ArtFelt Collaborative are having a show at Lake Country Gallery in July and we all decided to get to work. Our collective theme chose natural colour fleeces and off we went. I love natural colour fleeces and I love collecting different breeds of sheep. These piece encompass at least 15 or more different sheep breeds all in their natural colour. I began collecting different breeds a few years back from a shepherdess named Val in Swift Current Saskatchewan. I finally pulled those samples out and began washing them.
They were amazingly beautiful and the colour variations were truly unique. Of course..ha ha..that wasn't enough and I ordered more. The Cotswold grey was the true inspiration for this series. The beauty of the individual locks were incredibly inspiring.
I am intrigued by the idea that all these sheep breeds are classified, categorized, evaluated and stamped...slotted into compartments of use and need and desire and quality. Some are judged better than others. I am amazed that when I combined them totally disregarding their labels they join together to created a oneness that is totally unique.
That's what this piece is about.
