'Like painting with wool'
Iglulik residents keep idle hands busy
Laura Busch
Northern News Services
Published Monday, April 7, 2014
IGLULIK
lglulik residents tried their hands at a new craft earlier this month when Halifax-based artist Justine Kerr held a series of felting workshops for youth and adults.
"I never did anything like that before," said Elizabeth Awa of her experience with the class.
"I'm really enjoying learning a new thing a lot because I can help my younger grandchildren and other people who are willing to learn."
Awa completed a felted Canada Goose as well as a scenic image of a sun setting behind an iglu.
She sews regularly at home, creating wall hangings, miniature qamiks and other traditional items, but said it was nice to learn a new skill that she can now apply to other projects.
This was Kerr's first time in Nunavut and she said she was really pleased with the level of enthusiasm displayed by the students. She started with a workshop for kids on March 14 that continued through the weekend and from there, word spread and more and more people started showing up to the community centre.
"From the kids' workshop, it just kind of escalated," she said. "Word of mouth is a very powerful medium."
Felting is "like painting with wool," explained Kerr.
A piece of felt is used as a canvas, and then pieces of other colours are cut and stretched over it, creating an image. A type of netting is placed over the work to hold the pieces of felt in place and then it is doused in hot water and rubbed for up to 10 minutes. The friction and heat causes the fibres to open up and tiny hooks in the felt bind together, creating a durable, long-lasting piece of artwork.
"The actual act of felting itself, the process, is so simple it's amazing," said Kerr, adding she has taught children as young as four years old the skill. "There's something about it that relaxes people into the creative process.
"If people feel insecure or unconfident about drawing, this allows them to get into their creative flow quite quickly. It's all about getting them to make art and play and have fun."
None of the participants in the Iglulik workshops, that ran until March 19, had felted before but picked it up quickly.
Kerr said she especially enjoyed watching elders learn the new craft.
"I've noticed that women are very very good at embroidery here," she said. "You can tell they have a lot of intelligence in their hands."
