Ruth Packham is an old friend of DHG's. Indeed, we have collaboratad with Ruth for three video tutorials about needle felting.
If you have never watched them, or if you want to refresh your memory, these are the videos: Needle felting in a nutshell/The basics, Needle felting in a nutshell/2D felt e Needle felting in a nutshell/3D felt.
Ruth Packham was born in England, she currently lives in Wales. After obtaining a Fine Arts degree, she worked with screen printing on fabric, with natural dyes and with video installation. A few years later, she fell in love with wool and then with felt, which allows her to experiment with what she likes best: making things. Felt gives her the opportunity to use wool fiber to create three dimensional objects which are as strong as fabric. Ruth works with wet felting as well as needle felting. Her unique style is easy to recognize in her small animals, vases and felt pictures. All her works have one thing in common: the love for animals and plants. Her favorite subjects are birds, which she portrays both in a realistic style and in imaginary shapes and colors.
I love Ruth because she has a joyful yet rigorous way of expressing her creativity. And also because she takes me back to a faraway time, that of my childhood, when the bond between Humankind and Nature was much more powerful and simple than what it is today.
So, here's our interview with Ruth. But first, a small preview: Ruth Packham and DHG are going to collaborate again. Stay tuned!
Hi Ruth, when did felt become part of your life?
I made my 1st piece of felt about 9 years ago. I have been working with textiles for over 20 years, mostly screen printing. I love all things fabric so I don't know why it took me so long to try felt making.
As a felt maker, you work both with needle felting and wet felting. Could you explain the difference between these two techniques for those who do not know?
I started with wet felting, an ancient technique that involves placing layers of wool fibre on top of each other, these layers are then wet with warm water using a little soap and either rubbed or rolled over and over until the fibres join together and shrink producing a strong and durable fabric. I often use wool fibre as a drawing material producing wet felted pictures. Until I tried needle felting about 7 years ago my work was always two dimensional, nowadays I make more wool sculptures than pictures. Needle felting or dry felting is a technique that involves stabbing into wool fibre with a special barbed needle. The more the fiber is worked the harder it becomes as the wool tangles together, as this happens the wool can be sculpted into three dimensional objects. The techniques are interchangable and I find both magical.
On yout official website I read something that I really loved: "I hope my work makes you smile". Do you think Art can have a therapeutic value - both for those who do it and for those who look at it?
I trained as a Fine Artist many years ago and on completing my degree rejected art and the art world with a sore head from having to intellectually justify my every creative decision and intention. For many years afterwards I would only make things with a practical use. Nowadays, although still healtily cynical, I am happy if something I make brings a smile to those who look at it. I hope my work is playful and fun, these are qualities sadly lacking in many lives and if what I create can bring a little sunshine into the world then great! I do believe very strongly in the power of art to affect the viewer on many levels; as escapism; a source of wonder and contemplation; to antagonise and to offer a different viewpoint for example. I am currently working as a felt maker on a project called 'Art on Prescription'. I am teaching a 10 week programme to people either referred by their Doctor or self referred to take part, because doing so will benefit their health and enrich their lives. I know that being creative has vast therapeutic value.
You are now a popular and respected felt maker. Was it a difficult journey for you? Do you have any advice for those who would like to build an artistic career?
I feel my journey is only at its early stages, I have a long way to go before fortune beckons! Working as an artist is a difficult path in many ways, it is a decision to be poor and frustrated but also one to be happy. Self promotion takes up way too much of my time when I would much prefer to be making work but it is the way of things; social media certainly allows artists to have their work widely seen so it has to be our friend! I think maybe my advise to anyone interested in embarking on an artistic career is to be versatile, be prepared to leave your comfort zone and shout about yourself because probably no one else will, be tough because you will get rejected but make your creativity the centre of your existence, keep your eyes open and try and be original!
What was your proudest professional achievement?
Thus far, and I have many years ahead of me yet I hope, one of my proudest professional achievements was when last year I organised a project to create a giant felt shell (sponsored with wool fibre by DHG) which involved collaborating with 4 other felt makers, Esther Weber, Anu Voelp, Stefani Andernach and Dana Oswald. I wasn't aware at the time that this kind of project between felt makers was unusual so it made the very successful 5 days of working together and learning from each other a very special time. I haven't won any prizes or awards for my work and am often rejected for things to which I apply to but I always feel proud when people buy my work and especially when I hear from them afterwards just how much they love it. I am proud to be associated with DHG ;)!
Unfortunately, a lot of people still have an old-fashioned, limited point of view on felt. What is the potential of this material, in your opinion?
The majority of people have no idea how felt is made and certainly haven't even given it any hought. In the UK when you talk about felt most people have in mind the industrially made fabric we sewed things with at primary school or the 'fuzzy' felt we made pictures with. As a technique it seems to me that felt making is less regarded in the art world than say ceramics or jewellery making. I guess people think of felt and just see the colourful felt flowers imported from Nepal and India. It is frustrating as an artist/maker that there exists this prejudice, but for me, who has never taken an easy path in my practice it means I have to work even harder to help break down these preconceived ideas; to try and make work that highlights feltmaking as a valid and contemporary technique. You just have to look at some of the artists around the world working as felt makers to see the versatility of using wool fibre; Andrea Graham, Judit Pocs, Gladys Paulus, Stephanie Metz, Esther Weber and Anu Voelp to name a few. Wool is a phenomenal material. I am continually enthralled by its potential and certainly feel I will be using it indefinitely as my material of choice. As a felt maker and artist the possibilities of what can be created using 'a pile of fluff' are boundless and very very exciting.
Sheep, yak, camel, alpaca, rabbit, goat, and even beaver. These are only a few of the animal fibers which can be used for felting. What is your favorite, and why?
I have mainly worked with sheep wool and there are so many varieties to chose from I would have to say it is my favourite fibre. I particularly like Shetland and Blue Faced Leicester for both needle felting and wet felting.
What is the song that makes your heart melt even after listening to it a hundred times? And what book do you have on your nightstand?
I love all kinds of music so it is hard to choose just one song but 'I want you' by Elvis Costello does really melt my heart. I am currently reading 'Nora Webster' by Colm Toibin and whilst in my studio listening to 'The Book of Speculation' by Erika Swyler. I listen to lots of audio books, they are my perfect companion when making, who doesn't love having stories read to them?
If you liked this article maybe you would also enjoy Carded wool. Eva’s 10 tips for perfect felt.
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