Sarah Waters MSDC
Feltmaking
Sarah is a textile artist with a passion for feltmaking that originates from her love of sheep. Living in the New Forest her work reflects her desire to connect with nature and the importance of sustainability.
Sarah has been spinning, weaving and dyeing her own fleeces for over thirty years. Having graduated in Agriculture she set up and ran her own company, producing yarn and knitting kits from her own flock of several hundred Rare Breeds of sheep. Feltmaking was a progression after having to disperse the flock when her father sold his smallholding. Sarah now has almost twenty years of experience in teaching feltmaking from school children, adults with learning difficulties to community projects.
She currently runs her own textiles business teaching, exhibiting in the UK and internationally and selling her work though galleries and online.
The work she produces is not only functional but has colour, texture and tactile qualities. Using both traditional and innovative techniques she aims to show the diversity and qualities feltmaking can be taken to and pushes the boundaries with her work.
Sarah’s work is usually in relief and very often three-dimensional. She is a very ‘hands on’ person and loves the tactile feel of felting. Each piece she produces is unique and she loves that fact it can never be replicated. Felt making is a passion, her life and in her soul.
Working with local and sustainable fleeces where possible, Sarah creates large scale wallhangings, installations and artworks, together with small items for the home. Felt is an ancient art for modern day living.
Exhibitions and Work Undertaken
January 2021 Above:Below Solo exhibition, Farfield Mill, Sedbergh, Cumbria (postponed until September 2022)
Summer 2020/21 Online virtual selected exhibitions:
‘Kaleidoscope’ and 'ReConnect' - International Feltmakers Association
‘The Big Pause’ - Artful collective
<<Strategy: Get Arts>> 50th Anniversary Demarco Archive
April- July 2019 ‘Between Warp & Weft ll ‘ – Solo Show, Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham, Hampshire
Mar –April 2019 ‘Between Warp & Weft’ – Solo Show, New Forest Arts Centre, New Milton, Hampshire
Feb-March 2019 'Demarco in Dunoon: Homage to Beuys in the Celtic World of Dunoon, Dunoon Burgh Hall, Dunoon, Scotland
Jan -Feb 2019 'Venus in the Landscape' - Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
Oct-Dec 2018 Solo Show, World festival of Threads, Toronto, Canada
Sept-Dec 2018 'Homage to Beuys'- Demarco Archives, Summerhall, Edinburgh, Scotland
Oct, Nov 2017 ‘Stone’ -Twisted Thread’s Knitting & Stitching Solo Show (London, Dublin and Harrogate)
May 2017 ‘Under the Microscope’-Joint exhibition with artist Helen Sill, Rum’s Eg Gallery, Romsey, Hampshire
Jun 2016 ‘From the Earth Textiles’ Exhibition, Hertfordshire
Jan 2016 ‘Lithic’ alongside artist Peter Jackman, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey
Nov 2016 MADEBrighton, Brighton
Nov 2016 Contemporary Textiles Exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey
Oct 2016 ‘Stitched’ – Romsey Abbey, Hants
Jan 2015 25x25x25 Society of Designer Craftsmen, Mall Galleries, London
Summer 2015 Flitti ‘Black & White’ Finnish Felt Association, Jamsa, Finland
July 2014 10 out of 6, Degree Show, Desborough College, Eastleigh
2011-2014 Hampshire Schools Sustainability Project
April 2011 Lead artist -Woodgreen Community Felt Banner Project
2010-present Art tutor on international cruise ships
June 2009 Lead artist- Cranborne Community Hall Mural Project
2004-Present Run a Feltmaking business: teaching in schools, workshops for adults, groups and selling into galleries and via own online website
2004-Present Hampshire Open Studios (10 days annually)
2002 Lead artist- Hale primary school Felt Hat project
Awards
2016 Craft & Design magazine selected maker 2016 finalist: Textiles & Needlecrafts
2016 Salisbury Contemporary Craft and Heritage Festival ‘Best Local Maker’ Award
1992 Runner Up – Daily Mail Young Countrywoman of the Year
1988 NatWest and NFU Venture Cash winner - £1000 research project into fine wool production culminating with a speech in front of 500VIPS and HRH Princess Royal at the NatWest tower in London
1988 Winner -Graduate Enterprise Program, Bristol
Publications
2019 SEWembroiderers guild – featured article ‘From Fleece to Felt’
2018 FiberArtsNow (Summer edition)- selected and featured felt artist
2018 Grima-Danish International Felt Magazine
2017 ‘Stone’ - Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine
2016 Worldwide Colours of Felt by Ellen Bakker – work included
2016 Felt Collars –Workshop on the Web
2015 Who and I? - Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine
2014 Indigo Dyeing -Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine
Membership
A full member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen
Member and joint regional Co Ordinator of the IFA (International Feltmakers Association)
Member of the Scottish Society of Artists
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