PROCESS
“One day I walked with a shepherd and his sheep. The landscape, the livestock, the slow pace in wich we propelled and the sound of the grazing sheep were almost hypnotic.”
“Only the unprocessed wool gives the texture and unique character that I search for in my Landscapes.”
COLLECT THE WOOL
The landscapes in Wool are made from the shorn wool of rare and almost forgotten sheep breeds that are maintained by a small group of shepherds. The sheep with which I work are distinguished by their special long locks, the natural shades and texture. Every sheep has got its own unique markings and like people their colour changes by age. A careful selection of the fleece is critical for my designs and the fundament of each Landscape in Wool.
SORT THE WOOL
I choose to work with the uncarded roughly sheared wool, so as to retain the texture and character of the wool as much as possible in its original state. The wool tells about the original habitat of the sheep. It shows if they were made for living in extreme cold areas or had to survive long periods of scarcity. Even long after my work has completed you will find seeds that have travelled many miles hidden in the fleece. A pure signature of nature as I see it
EDIT THE WOOL
Felting is one of the oldest transformation processes of wool. I only work with natural resources: water, wool and olive soap for the felt process and for rinsing I use salt and vinegar.
By rubbing water and soap on the wool, the fibres will interlock and shrink, resulting in a solid piece of fabric: felt. Because I use the wool in its most rough form, the felting process is a very labour-intensive and physical chal-lenge. This ancient craft and handwork takes me back to my roots and keeps me humble
CREATE THE LANDSCAPE
When the rough work is done it’s time to create the final composition. My approach is characterized by a typical sculpting style. A bent needle and thread are my tools and my skills as a painter shows in every angle. My longing for nature has definitely contributed to my choice to work with raw wool. When you look at my work it takes you to the homelands of the Hungarian Racka, the Afghanistan Karakul and the Russian Romanov sheep.