ULLSWATER FELT ART
Jane Firth
I started felting after a career in education. I was inspired by Cumbria’s long history of sheep farming and the many photographs I took. As a keen walker and photographer, I am often out on the fells which provide a constant source of inspiration. Needle felting is an ideal medium to capture the textures and colours that characterise the animals and landscapes that are my subjects. Initially, I felted portraits of local Lake District sheep such as Herdwicks and Swaledales using locally sourced Herdwick and Swaledale wool. I now needle felt a wide variety of different breeds of sheep as well as the landscapes containing them. I also felt pets , ponies , cows , goats , alpacas , hares and red squirrels in a studio overlooking Ullswater.
I am a member of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Since 2018 I have been needle felting my way through their Watchlist of endangered breeds in order to draw attention to this important issue . Many of the endangered sheep breeds are the traditional wool breeds.
It is also important to me to preserve our native British wildlife such as red squirrels, pine martens, badgers and brown hares so my work highlights the importance of the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group , the Hare Preservation Trust Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
This ram was photographed in the Griizedale valley and needle felted with local Herdwick wool.
Dunmallard Hill is on the Ullswater Way near Pooley Bridge. The low winter light cast beautiful shadows, inspiring me to create this piece.
Roxy is a recent commission and was great fun to do.
A fibre art painting of a White Hebridean lamb, photographed in Sutherland and needle felted with wool from that farm
My needle felted pictures have texture from the wool fibres and depth from many layers. They are created in a studio overlooking Ullswater in the English Lake District, Cumbria. If you are interested in a commission, please use the contact form below.
