-Anita Johnson-
-Anita Johnson-
Felt training in 2 parts
From August 28 to September 3, 2025
Embedded Files
Teacher's presentation
Teacher's presentation
Anita Johnson is an Australian sculptor and felt maker who graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Sydney College of The Arts, University of Sydney. Currently studying a PhD in Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong, her research and artistic practice focuses on concepts of repair and maintenance using felt, textiles and found objects.
Johnson has exhibited his sculptures at the NSW Art Gallery, Sydney, the Hungarian National Gallery, the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award, the Museo del Tessuto, Italy, the Blake Prize, Sydney, the Australian War Memorial Art Collection, Canberra, the 6th International World. Contemporary Art Textile Art Biennial, Mexico, Sculptural Felt International, Netherlands and Australia, 2nd Tamworth Textile Triennial, Australia, 5th Beijing International Art Biennial, Australian Design Center and 10th International Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, MIFA - Miami International Fine Arts, USA.
Exhibiting under the name Anita Larkin from 2000 to 2021, she is currently represented by Defiance Gallery in Sydney (www.defiancegallery.com). Johnson has been teaching felt making since 1994 in Australia and internationally, developing her own methods from a sculptural perspective of felt formation and use. She lectures in this field at the National Art School in Sydney. Anita is a generous and patient teacher with 30 years of experience in felt making techniques in sculpture.
The Training
6 days to learn original techniques for working with felt in the south of France from August 28 to September 3, 2025 in residence in Montbrun-Bocage.
FELT PERCEIVED AS A SUBSTANCE
3-day workshop from August 28 to 30, 2025
During this workshop you will explore the study of wool fibers and felt approached as a substance for sculpture which can interact with other substances and construct itself in the manner of clay. Learn to create hollow felt sculptural shapes directly by hand without using plastic resin. This method makes it possible to directly model complex shapes in 3 dimensions.
This course will also explore how many substances interact with the surface of finished felt receptors. You will apply gold leaf, silicone, wax, putty, tar and other substances to felt shapes, which will transform this felt shape into an object of another structure.
Educational objectives of this course
After these 3 days students will have acquired skills in “skin” felting, creating hollow three-dimensional felted shapes from wool fibers without using plastic resin.
They will be able to apply gold leaf, silicone, wax, burn, putty, tar and other materials to their felt shapes and make samples of substance interactions with the felt.
They will have made at least one form of finished felted sculpture.
Detailed program
August 28:
Morning: 9 a.m. / 1 p.m. Class discussion on the properties of wool and its behavior during the different stages of felting. Introduction to the principles and techniques of “skin” felting and why it is useful for the artisan felt sculptor.
Afternoon: 2:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m. Students will make a hollow felt sculptural form of their own design by building it directly with their hands and learn how to join and reinforce sections as they build.
August 29:
Students will experiment with applying different liquids and materials to the surface of finished markers. This will include, but is not limited to, gold leaf, silicone, wax, burning, tar, putty and paints.
Students will work on their own projects applying what they have learned during the course.
August 30:
The students will continue to work on their project and this day will be dedicated to finishing the sculptures.
The sculptures will be finished and the skills assessment and criticism will be shared as a group.
August 31: DAY OFF during which the workshop remains open for trainees who wish it.
DESIGN IDEAS FOR FELTMAKERS
3-day workshop from September 1 to 3, 2025
How can felt makers create innovative shapes and new designs?
This creative workshop begins with fun methods of drawing, doodling and collage on paper. Collage methods (cutting, reassembly and serendipitous occurrence) can be an interesting way to develop spare patterns which are then used to create felt shapes. The initial inspiration will come from the observation of everyday objects.
Anita will then guide students through fun ways to develop a three-dimensional felt shape from two-dimensional drawings. The intricacies of calculating and planning a unique reserve form will be shared with each student based on their own project as it evolves. Layering, grooving, making holes or twisting the resist will be explored as ways to create unusual sculptures, containers or felt hats if you prefer. Tired of making felt from the same spare shapes? Then this course will give you the skills to create new ones.
Please note that you do not need to have any drawing experience for this course, just to have a willing and creative mind. This is a felt making class, not a drawing class. The course is aimed at people who already have basic felt-making skills, know how to use a stash, and want to discover how to develop their own felt-making creations.
Educational objectives of this sequence
Students will acquire an understanding of the creative mind at work, and how new designs can be generated from activities such as observation, drawing and collage.
Students will be able to plan, calculate and make a resist shape from their drawings.
Students will felt a maquette for their project and make adjustments as required for the design, colour, and amount of wool fibre to achieve the desired shape.
Students will complete a final design in felt, using all the knowledges covered in previous days.
Students will realise that new ideas are an ongoing process, fostered by play, risk, testing, setting parameters, and iteration.
Detailed program
September 1: Introduction to creative thinking, developing and planning ideas.
Outline of creative thinking, the benefits of setting parameters and allowing for emergence. Group discussion about how students can generate new design ideas for felt forms without scrolling through the internet.
Students will use Intuitive and playful methods of drawing in response to music, doodling and decision-making using collage on and with paper.
Using a still life composition students will draw ordinary objects and the spaces between them to develop further shapes and ideas, again using collage on and with paper to refine their projects.
Anita will then lead students through ways to develop a small three-dimensional resist shape from their two-dimensional drawing/collages. The intricacies of calculating and planning a unique resist shape will be shared with each student according to their own project as it evolves.
Methods of collage (cutting, re-joining and chance occurrences) can be an interesting way to develop resist designs too. Layering, slotting, making holes in, or twisting the resist will be explored as ways of creating unusual sculptural shapes.
The small-scale maquette resist will be felted to understand how the design will work in 3 dimensions, and to adjust and refine the design where necessary.
September 2: Testing new ideas and refining designs.
Group discussion about findings from previous day, and any thoughts or questions arising.
A small-scale maquette will be felted from the resists developed on Day 1, to understand how the design will work in 3 dimensions, and to adjust and refine the design shape colour or line where necessary.
The afternoon will be planning the adjusted resist form, and beginning to layout the fibres, noting direction of fibre and amount fibre in each section as this will alter the shape and migration of the fibres affecting things such as curves and indentations.
September 3: Felting the final designs and developing others.
Group discussion about the progression of projects and address any thoughts or questions arising.
Felting of the final design.
The felting of the final design will inevitably lead to new ideas, and students can also return to their original drawing and collage experiments to make maquettes or resist shapes for other artworks.
Group critique of the artworks made, and discussion of the ways creativity works in a flux between the mind, the body, and materials. The group will collectively reflect on their 3 days of learning to pinpoint some of the ways they have learnt to generate new design ideas in feltmaking.
Monitoring of execution and evaluation methods
Attendance sheets.
Learning is supported by practical demonstrations, one-on-one consultations and illustrated help and explanations.
Training evaluation forms.
Materials available for students
Each participant will benefit from a suitable individual workstation, with individual felting table adjustable in height, small felting equipment.
Possibility of purchasing raw materials (wool, textiles, threads) on site if necessary and depending on available stocks.
Large light and bright workshop, abundant library specializing in textile art and colors.
Level of prior knowledge and prerequisites
Knowledge of basic felt making techniques is required. The course is aimed at people who already have basic felt-making skills, know how to use a stash, and want to discover how to develop their own felt-making creations.
Personal Financing Rate
session 1 from August 29 to 30 (9 p.m.) €450
session 2 from September 1 to 3 (9 p.m.) €450
session 1 + 2 from August 29 to September 3 (42 hours) €700
Maximum number of students: 12
If your tax residence is in France:
Tuition fees may be covered by training organizations (OPCO, Vivea, Afdas, FAFCEA, France Travail, etc.) depending on your status and eligibility. Contact us for personalized advice and a quote at contact@feutreformationfrance.fr
Accommodation
Our residence is the ideal place to sleep on site throughout your training. If you would like to know more, write to us at contact@feutreformationfrance.fr
Report abuse