Mandy Nash’s workshop was really great. It was very physical, but the result was a fabulously robust vessel (my one lacks a bit of finesse in the shape), but it is really easy to shape it in similar ways to leather-hard clay. It’s thick, sturdy and such a surprise given the wispiness of the fleece I began with.
I loved the intimacy with the material making this vessel. I have realised as I have worked through the tasks I have set myself for this project, that a closer link with the material is vital for me to really be involved with and believe in the piece. I find I can do this increasingly with painting, but dealing with material/fabric, something that can be squashed; taken in the hand and manipulated really makes me feel ‘like coming home’. Being able to make 3d items in this way and with wet-felting rather than needle felting (slower – much slower) expands a whole new horizon for me in ways of working and building a repertoire of skills.
