Felting with Agustina!

It all starts with an innocent-looking box of wool and a theme-organic and sustainable art.



KIDSART with a view, this past Saturday. Artist Agustina Woodgate has a studio that overlooks a golf course. Not all artist's studios are crowded lofts! Part of the uniqueness of KIDSART is that each artist demonstrates not just their talents for the kids, but their environment as well. Kids can see the raw materials that go into an artist's creations, as well as the tools to assemble them, and the space where it all comes together. Agustina does many things-one project she has come up with is a bearskin rug made out of teddy bear skins.



These are the leftover heads...



And this is the work in progress...


She also spins!!!



Agustina started the kids off by explaining what they were about to create. 'Felting' is one of the oldest arts known to humans. Back in ancient times, humans actually made the first shields by felting. She asked if the kids knew what painting was, and printmaking, and sculpture, and finally, 'installations'. She explained that a sculpture is a three-dimensional object, and that an installation may use not just an object or objects, but the space around them as well. The kids were enthralled! They would create objects by felting, and then these 'objects' would all become part of an installation.



Agustina made the process easy to understand for the kids....


...and then they were off!


There is some work that goes into felting, as the kids soon found out. The wool fibers are changed by hot and cold water, which makes them relax, and then stiffen. Then the kids had to stretch their chosen colors between two screens. Ordinary dish soap is applied to adhere the fibers (I hope I have all that right, Agustina!).


You can see the vivid colors of the kids' creations, as Agustina and artist/coordinator Luis Valle discuss ideas for the potential installation.



The kids worked up such an appetite that the lunch from World Resource Cafe was devoured!


As was the cake donated once again by the fabulous Manuela Moeller!




Some rolling....




Some thinking...




Even some parents got involved...







You can see how vivid the colors were, and how the kids' creations were all so different and clever!





Wool, soap, hot water, and cold water. Plenty of imagination, and of course, inspiration as well. And voila! Art! Thank you Agustina for an amazing, delightful, entertaining, and educational workshop. Muchas Gracias!