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Felted fungi and birds of the forest

Create magical mushrooms and birds of the forest from felted woollen jerseys
With Ann Stephens
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Bring your group and spend a few happy days together exploring the process of creating 3D objects based on mushrooms and birds. You will be learning with the English textile artist Ann Stephens: “I love working with old woollen jerseys and vintage fabrics, discarded things that I find in charity shops, that can be given a new life and beauty with some love and slow stitching.”

These large and magical mushrooms are made from re-purposed woollen jerseys, with hand stitching added to emphasize details and colours. They can be used as pin cushions or quirky decorative items. The world of fungi is fascinating and vast, with so many shapes and colours from which to draw inspiration. You will begin the workshop by sketching mushroom shapes to analyse their many unique structures.

The birds of the forest are made from scraps of upcycled woollen jerseys. You will learn to use an embellisher machine to make the felt bases. An embellisher machine uses up to 5 special barbed needles which push and bind felt fibres together, creating beautiful surface embellishments. By choosing your own colour preferences you will be creating unique one-off pieces. Ann will show you how to carve beaks and claws using twigs from the trees around the château. These charming little birds make great gifts. They can be hung on your Christmas tree or perched somewhere unexpected at home that make you smile. Where will your dear little homemade birds be perching?

All levels and abilities find themselves drawn to Ann’s kind and enthusiastic teaching style. Since moving to rural France twelve years ago, Ann has concentrated on developing her own work, having spent many years encouraging the creativity in others, as Head of Art at a large and diverse college in Wales. Ann originally graduated in Fine Art. She trained in painting & printmaking under the tutelege of renowned artist Gillian Ayres at Winchester School of Art. Her textile work is exhibited and collected internationally.
@ann.stephens.artist  

Group size 4 – 7 people
Includes five nights full board, all materials and tuition in the fully equipped atelier, a half day guided excursion around the local market and brocante, one meal in a local restaurant, beverages and local wines, group pickup and drop off from Agen train station

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