Felting the Lake District Landscape

When I first encountered of Ullswater over 20 years ago, I was inspired like the writer and artist Arthur Wainrigh:t 'Ullswater, the most beautiful of lakes, curving gracefully into the distance.' I am an avid photographer, so never go for a walk without taking my camera and photographing whatever draws my attention, from the ripples on the lake, the soaring crags, the mosses and lichen growing on a fallen tree and glimpses of local wildlife. As with my animal portraits, a photograph has to inspire me if I am to embark on felting it. Using felt art as a medium to express the unique character of this special place often requires me to dye fibres for the specific colours and textures I want.

Detail of Winter Trees - Dunmallard Hill. I dyed the foliage colours specially using my neighbour's Bluedfaced Leicester locks.

I create my landscapes by building up layers of both colour and texture as fibres from lower layers show through to the upper ones. This requires very careful planning as I cannot re-work lower layers once I have felted the ones above.

Winter trees - Dunmallard Hill and example of very carefully planning of layers

Creating a landscape using wool fibres, I layer and shape each piece, building depth and texture that attempts to mimic the natural environment. The process is slow and meditative, much like my walks along the Ullswater Way, when I am not in a hurry to get from A to B, but simply there to enjoy the colours and play of light on the hills and water. My favourite season is autumn so experimenting with dying autumn colours is part of the process in planning a felted landcape.

One of the joys of working with felt is how tactile it is. The Ullswater reflections' picture shown here has hand dyed Bluefaced Leicester locks for the tree foliage; the rocks are made with Herdwick which is a coarse wool in shades of grey; the water uses wool, silk and bamboo fibres to give it lustre.

One of my 'autumn reflections' collection.

Detail of rocks in 'Ullswater reflections'

When I was planning the 'Silver Birches' picture, I walked along thr Ullswater Way with my camera photographing Silver Birch trees: both close ups of their bark as well as their overall outline. I dyed Bluefaced Leicester locks in autumn colours and made some rocks from local Herdwick. As with the Winter Trees picture, this piece required very careful planning of layers for my idea to be realised.

Silver Birch in autumn colours

If you are curious about the creative process, I recommend trying your hand at needle felting. It is possible to learn the basic techniques in a couple of hours and then it is just a case of practice. It is a rewarding way to engage with nature and develop a deeper appreciation for the textures and colours around you.

Inspired by Ullswater

Many artists have been inspired by Ullswater - see my 'Inspired by Ullswater' blog and the 'Virtual Art Gallery' on the www.ullswaterheritage.org website. Ullswater has inspired artists for centuries, including the renowned British painter JMW Turner who visited in 1797.

The Ullswater Virtual Art Gallery also includes art by contemporary artists exploring the interplay of light and water, using various media to express the ever-changing moods of these environments. For example, Stuart Fraser is fascinated by light and captures it in his oil paintings: https://www.ullswaterheritage.org/heritage-knowledge-bank/inspired-by-ullswater/virtual-art-gallery/stuart-fraser . Another artist who captures the magical changes of light and shade on the landscape is Tim Watson: https://www.ullswaterheritage.org/heritage-knowledge-bank/inspired-by-ullswater/virtual-art-gallery/tim-watson. Their work encourages us to look closely at the natural world and find beauty in its every detail.

In the end, Ullswater Felt Art is about more than creating pictures. It is about celebrating a landscape that continues to inspire and nurture creativity, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the world around us.