Our heroine is a biologist by education, and now - a felter artist. She loves animals and “draws” them with wool and a needle on the fabric.
About the page author
The current heroine of our column is Dani Ives, she is a felter artist, a self-taught person. (Felting is a way of working with wool fibers with a special needle, read more about this type of needlework here.) According to Dani, her inspiration originates from a love of nature and science - this love has a great influence on her work. Dani's love for animals led her to go to university, choosing to study biology and environmental protection. After studying, Dani worked at the zoo for 10 years.
Dani recalls that as a child she made success in painting, but did not think about doing something seriously like that. She learned about felting in 2011 (which is interesting, from one of the employees of the zoo). At first, Dani did voluminous work, and then switched to flat. In 2015, Dani decided to work part-time at the zoo in order to devote more time to her hobby, and after that she devoted herself completely to needlework. Now she makes portraits of animals, amazing in beauty and quality of study, and other works in the technique of felting, becoming a rather famous person in the needlework world. Dani writes books, conducts intramural workshops and online courses.
Botanical embroidery from an artist from Colorado: Instagram of the week
What is this page about
Dani says that in many ways she herself developed her own technique, and calls it “wool painting” or “wool painting”. In search of her way of working, the needlewoman first made woolen paintings using a felted base, but she turned out to be too soft. Dani tried to hoop the woolen base, then to roll along the linen fabric. So her style was formed: the base is in the embroidery frame, and on top, layer by layer - wool fibers, dozens of different shades for each work. According to her, this work is delicate, requiring attention, but at the same time, you can always go back and adjust the picture. Dani says that when taking portraits of animals, he usually starts from the eyes. "Eyes are the key to understanding, including the animal. Having spent so much time with different representatives of the fauna, I try to show individuality, even the personality of everyone. And it seems to me that my scientific experience allows me to see and depict details more accurately," - she says. Now Dani Ives makes animal portraits, paints plants, landscapes, and so on. In addition to the finished work on her page there are photos and videos of the process, including from her intramural workshops and inspirational pictures.
Gorgeous textures: handmade instagram of the week
Who will be interested in this page
If you are already familiar with felting, it will probably be interesting for you to look at Dani's photos and videos on Instagram, take a fresh look at the technique and, perhaps, get some ideas and methods for yourself. And for those who have not tried this type of needlework yet, the page of our heroine is able to inspire a new hobby.
More photos: @begoodnatured
