About Liz Haley
Needle and wet felting came to me purely by accident, when a new friend taught me the basics. I fell in love! This is the first art form ever that spoke to me and allowed me to express myself in wonderfully, creative ways.
The process of needle and wet felting begins with raw, dyed wool. The wool can be from sheep, llamas, alpacas, goats, or rabbits. I only use American processed wool. For sheen and other various effects, I incorporate sari silk, viscose, bamboo, and silk hankies.
The layout starts with a base of pre-felted felt which gives the work a softness that allows me to incorporate other wools into the piece. After I arrange the background colors on the pre-felted felt, I then saturate the entire piece with warm soapy water. After that, the work is tightly rolled in bubble wrap and towels, then rolled in different directions 80 to 100 times. This procedure allows the wool to felt together making a solid canvas. Once dry; I use different size felting needles to blend the colors to create detailed texture and layers that result in the final creation. These processes can take several days to weeks to complete.
Biography
I grew up a coal miner’s daughter in a holler called Robinhood, WV. Forests, trees and roads to nowhere were my sanctuary. My MawMaw was a Healer, and taught me what plant life I could eat, mushrooms that were safe to eat, ones that weren’t, and what tree bark could be made into tea to cure pain or other miseries. Tree limbs could be made into whistles, fishing poles, bows and arrows and cars. I could sit on the roots of the extraordinarily huge poplar tree and fish. I would escape out into the woods, knowing that I would have everything I needed-shelter, food, and fresh, safe water to drink. The forests were my playground, my classroom and my life.
As a resident of West Virginia; I am fortunate enough to live in a beautiful state with abundant forests as my playground. Today, when the world is heavy on my shoulders, I can still escape into the woods; let go, recharge and heal through the art of needle and wet felting.
[email protected]
Other Creative Skills
Folk/Traditional Crafts and Visual Arts
