Carolyn Steele Lane | Stone Dragons in my garden and other creations in WOOL

Carolyn Steele Lane
Stone Dragons in my garden and other creations in WOOL

Edge Gallery, September 4 - 26, 2020

My garden contains work that is close to my heart. These pieces combine my love of masks and a fondness for teddy bears and dolls. It is a fantastical place, full of dragons and mischievous ravens. Times are strange and we need a little fantasy.

One might expect there to be more flowers in a garden. There were, but the gargoyles ate them. There were more gargoyles but...

I have been fortunate to find such a versatile medium to work in. Wool is flexible, malleable, can be used to create a fabric that is strong and firm or soft and drapey. Its product is surprisingly light unless one adds rocks.

Wool has memory. I am fascinated with creating 3-d objects, especially with wet felting.  Laying out the wool and then working it into a dense fabric and molding it with my hands. The layout is meditative, the felting process is physical work and then one has to hold the image of the final piece and instill it into the wool.

My techniques have been developed in workshops, whether in-person or online, from talents such as Gladys Paulus, Fiona Duthie, and Pam deGroot. I have read Terese Cato and just discovered Melissa Nasby. Having studied leather mask making in Florence, Italy, I jumped at the opportunity to join Gladys Paulus in England for her 5-day "Fantasy Mask" workshop. An amazing instructor and felter, Gladys has had a strong influence in advancing my techniques.

Closer to home, I have received encouragement from and been inspired by Rob Ingram, whose watercolor paintings abound with humour, wonderful stories and lively characters. The Northern Fibres Guild has also been a terrific resource. All the members encourage and share their talents and passion for fibre.

I still see dragons in old stumps and dinosaurs in trees. I'm inspired by everyday objects and need to create something unexpected.  I have so many ideas rattling around in my head, all clamouring to emerge that I shall be busy for a very long time.

Cheers!
Carolyn

CAROLYN STEELE LANE
After moving to Whitehorse in 1992, Carolyn surrounded her family with handmade quilts, jointed teddy bears and books - stacks and stacks of books. Post quilting phase, she began to draw and dabble in beading, stained glass, and polymer clay, all while working as a web developer and training in martial arts. Six years ago, workshops with Mary Beattie and Shiela Alexandrovich first introduced her to wool. She quickly began crafting avatars of friends and family and advanced to making 3-dimensional vessels from wool.

Over the years Carolyn has participated in many workshops to continue her skills: Commedia dell'Arte and leather masks in Italy, Fantasy masks in England,  seminars with Felt Canada in Nova Scotia, and a Summer Series course at Red Deer College. She has also participated in carving workshops under the guidance of Wayne Carlick and Dean Heron to gain a stronger understanding of sculpture.

Carolyn has many interests and is fortunate to see them coming together. She has learned the value of play and looks forward to getting comfortable with her chosen medium.

Instagram:
www.instagram.com/cslaen

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarolynCreatingHavoc

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