Tag Archives: Susan L. Feller

A personal history

I knew when Iconic Liberty was finished in 2006 there would be more to the story. It represented the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution granting women the right to vote. It also represents my grandmother coming of age and later working alongside my grandfather in their business as I grew up. An example of equality I treasure.

Iconic Liberty by Susan L. Feller

Finally tonight three more chapters came together in words and images.

Icon 2 To continue the strong women examples in my family, and the history of female influence in US evolution I will use “Rosie the Riveter” in the circle with the words on right and a black and white scheme. Changed the words from ‘as’ to ‘and’.

My mother worked in our family business.

: By J. Howard Miller, artist employed by Westinghouse, poster used by the War Production Co-ordinating Committee

: Susan L Feller

Icon 3 I came of age in the 1970’s, one of the first to vote at 18 in the presidential election. The Equal Rights Amendment was finally passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to be ratified by the states …. after ten years it failed to receive enough support. I recently realized it has failed, not just languished waiting for a few more states to ratify, FAILED. The third piece will be in green and white with the words above the circle with logo.

: ERA Logo

: Susan L Feller

On Nov 7 I completed the Iconic ERA. The years of earning Girl Scout badges (1963-1973) add period coloring and an edge around my previously created hand hooked mat. If you connect the gold badges with lines to the middle the PEACE sign is created. The stripes reflect the tie-dye craze of 70’s yet in subdued tones. I extended the swirls with Kaffe Fasset Stripes cotton. The letters are felted wool, attached with pearl cotton stitches.

Note the orientation changed from my design along with wording. I decided to mirror the first composition and broadened the message from just ‘women’ to WE ALL. The embroidered message is more subtle than the emblem because it supports the message.

Iconic ERA, by Susan L Feller

Icon 4 My upbringing has lead me to ignore public gender bias to pursue work, skills, leadership with personal preparation and persistence. In 2016 I cast my ballot (voting early is open in WV) for several women based on my understanding of their credentials. This work will be colored Red, White and Blue. Inside the circle the logos for Hillary Clinton (President of United States of America) and Charlotte Pritt (Governor for West Virginia) will be alongside the “I Voted” sticker with American Flag.

Update of design 4: the logos are scrapped for red,white,blue crocheted round doily. I painted white behind except for very center and outer rim which are gold. On that ring in white will be embroidered “I voted for Beverly and Charlotte and Hillary and Natalie” with “and you?” at the bottom of circle. Words on paper will be hooked in white and changed to “2016 Right to Vote for any one” with purple background. As of 11/23/16.

: Susan L Feller

: Iconic Vote evolving

My muse …. nature

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I gather nature – preserving the pieces for a while longer.
I use nature as the skeleton for my work.
I am nature and my actions reflect its energy.

: Blackberry patch

: with green behind, leaves pronounced

: Different color, no texture

I noticed when the green leaves are behind the mahogany ones we can see them better.

: Stuffed and embroidered

: Blackberry leaves 10-23

These leaves were not pressed and I decided to give my piece dimension stuffing two leaves and using yarns to define the veins.

finished with inspiration

After working the design I painted the linen. Best lesson here is paint surface FIRST then develop the motifs.

The year study lead me to reconsider how to approach each work. In rughooking the details are completed first, working out to background. But as noted in this square the surface needed to be painted before building up the leaves. I just have to remember to consider how before doing.

A Leaf Falls

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One day in high school English class Mrs. Bowen assigned us an EE Cummings poem. Minutes went by as I stared at the letters and then….. I read it!

Decades later I honored this experience with “A Leaf Falls”.

Welcome to my favorite season.

: EE Cummings

: A Leaf Falls, Susan L Feller

The design evolved from a sketch of migrating birds gathering seeds outside of our home one October day. The Carolina Wren’s tiny body with tail sticking up and beak down looked like a leaf. Gathering yellows and muted gold wools, I organically filled in defined shapes keeping three openings for my leaves. Two leaf shapes are stuffed and stitched onto the linen backing. Their veins and stems are copper wire anchored by gold threads. The third is partially stuffed but its edge flutters because of a layer of iron-on interfacing with wire inserted between two pieces of wool and bent to shape.

I sent off a card with the image and poem as a thank you note to Mrs. Bowen and received a lovely note back. It felt nice to have been able to send my appreciation after all these years.

: Beginning of hooking

: leaf shapes identified

: leaves cutout

: stuffed leaf with wire

: fluttering leaf edge

: A Leaf Falls, Susan L Feller

The finish makes the piece

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Attending the 20th Annual Rug Hooking Week at Sauder Village I studied the 700+ works looking for different, effective finishing techniques.

The border of a rug design, fringe on an oriental pattern, embroidered fabric edge on a primitive composition all enhanced the time-consuming handwork rughooking entails. Here are some highlights. I realize my focus was on the details and not capturing the completed image for comparison……all the better for inspiration I hope.

: Barbara Branch used flexible piping on a SteamPunk piece

: Kathy Gaul, Meetinghouse Hill Designs manipulates fabric

: Paty Parish Pitts applied hooked words on stretched fabric surface

: Sandra Hall applied “double linen” thick fringe

: Sandra Hall added embroidery stitching to fabric wrap edge

: Marsha Hockaday mounted work on fabric with an accent line

The purpose of a “frame” is to enhance the subject and introduce it to the environment. These techniques completed each design, emphasizing the style (steam punk), drawing attention to the subject (bulky natural linen fringe on colonial design), providing interest (the rippled tail of eagle by Meetinghouse Hill Design).

Learn to select the right finishing technique and your work will rise beyond completed. See Finishing Hooked Rugs for step-by-step lessons from experts and select the right technique so your work will be more than just done.

by Rug Hooking Magazine

Inspiration explored 50 years later

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Blanche McDonald, Letter Gap, WV circa 1965 with mixed media footstool

In a five year research project gathering personal background about Otha and Blanche McDonald from Letter Gap, WV I have been inspired by their textile work. Incorporating collage, embroidery, trapunto and stitching the ladies work embodies traditions, make-do, and balanced composition = art. This post will describe my approach to making a footstool as they did in the 1960’s.

seven cans for the base of footstool

Materials needed: seven same sized empty cans (I used one pound coffee cans)
batting used in quilting
fabric to wrap the circumference of cans assembled into circle
embroidery threads your choice of colors
variety of heavy weight fabrics or upholstery fabric sample
fabric strips to hook (usually wool but your choice)
foundation backing open weave for hooking and stitching
needles, hook, scissors
mat board cut the shape of circle (two pieces)

Tape the cans together, six around one in center. Trace this shape on paper and use as template for pattern. Draw onto backing and gather your fabrics, threads, tools. This is the time to play. The McDonald Sisters’ compositions all conjure up gardens and nature. They collaged scraps of velvet, brocades and drapery fabric common in the 1960’s in central West Virginia and any rural community in the United States. The shapes were defined with yarns unevenly anchoring the edges of each petal or stem. Some other materials used to embellish were unraveled copper threads from a Brillo pad which have tarnished over the years but still have a twinkle hint of metal.

top of footstool in private collection

I do not want to replicate their designs for a couple of reasons. One the copyright has not expired, the ladies passed away in 1975 and 1976. Two as an artist I prefer to react and respond. Using a supply of discontinued samples of upholstery fabric acquired from Dillon’s Furniture in Romney (eliminating their dumping them into the landfill), cutting up and rearranging the pieces into a pleasing composition then filling in the spaces with hooked wool fabric and stuffing some of the fabric shapes this footstool cover evolved.

: upholstery sample for footstool

: shapes outlined on monkscloth for hooking areas

: hooked, applique’, embroidery

: embellished wool wrapped cans with top attached

Piecing three colors of wool to wrap the cans, I attached the top and put on a bottom of corduroy with mat board buffering the cans and fabric. The sides were embroidered with simple flowers. I stuffed the two main flowers on the top but stitched the stems with embroidery threads anchoring them lower than the hooked loops.

This footstool will be part of an exhibit at Sauder Village August 17-20, 2016focusing on Otha and Blanche McDonald’s life and their exposure to economic opportunities thanks to President Johnson signing the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964. They and many craftspeople have been honored in exhibits, purchase awards, and sales for the past fifty years.

Susan L Feller with mixed media hassock

Fifty years later another footstool and craftsman outside of her log home… me.

Stymied with process

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I have a good design, pile of materials in a variety of values, and know the techniques I want to use why is this process not enjoyable?

Sketch of Seneca Rocks #2 Susan L Feller

I think the last two ingredients are lacking something….but what?

Check out my decision process so far: layering fabric, working trees in different values embroidered, hooked and appliquéd, embroidery of leaves and then the rocks.

: yarns for trees, needles, sketch

: applique including path

: stitching of trees, cutaway for hooked sections

: Dark and medium dark choices

: another decision value of trees

: Work at rest, light tree on left appliquéd perhaps

: stitched, applique’ details

: studio work in progress

Decided I need to set this aside and work on another project while researching skills and shopping for supplies.

Came back to the piece and kept going. By selecting the upholstery material for rocks in value and different textures the piece seemed to come together. Turned it over to my partner, Jim Lilly who created a custom frame continuing the layers of forest. Seneca Rocks #2 is complete.

: collage, embroidery, hooked, upholstery fabric, wool strips, novelty yarns

: embroidery, hooked, upholstery fabric, novelty yarns, wool fabric, variety of wood species in frame

Traveling to Vermont

A change of season

Review of exhibit: Hooked Images

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Roslyn Logsdon curator of Hooked Images

Recently Roslyn Logsdon coordinated an exhibit of contemporary fiber art by Carol Koerner, Marilyn Bottjer, Roslyn, Susan L. Feller, John Flournoy, and Sarah Province in a gallery at Columbia Art Center, Maryland. The exhibit statement’s overview indicates four of the artists work in fine traditional cuts and two introduce wider wool strips with a variety of fiber techniques. Read the full statement here: Hooked Images Curator’s Statement

Artist’s work was presented in a collage format allowing the viewer to study their personal style, techniques and use of materials then visit the next. With all six in the same space it was also easy to evaluate the full collection. Each contributed an artist statement and the titles told stories. Enjoy this virtual tour.

Susan L Feller collection

Susan L Feller Artist Statement

Carol Koerner collection

Carol Koerner Artist Statement

John Flournoy collection

John Flournoy Artist Statement

Sarah Province collection

Sarah Province Artist Statement

Marilyn Bottjer collection

Marilyn Bottjer Artist Statement

Roslyn Logsdon collection

Roslyn Logsdon Artist Statement

: Carol Koerner, Canning Jars

: Carol Koerner, Dylan’s Bike

: Carol Koerner, Crystal Bowl

: John Flournoy, Along the Breakwater Trail

: John Flournoy, Pennsylvania Barns

: John Flournoy, Koi Pond

: Marilyn Bottjer, Black & White

: Marilyn Bottjer, Going Around in Circles

: Marilyn Bottjer, Seeing Red

: Susan L Feller, Fall on Homestead

: Susan L Feller, Winter in WV

: Susan L Feller, Late Summer

: Roslyn Logsdon, Autumn Tree I

: Roslyn Logsdon, Abstract Spring

: Roslyn Logsdon, Autumn Tree II

: Sarah Province, Japanese Maple I

: Sarah Province, Silver Checkerspot and Black Swallowtail

: Sarah Province, Japanese Maple II

Columbia Art Center serves the community with art classes for young and old. The exposure of contemporary art hanging for six weeks in their galleries encourages innovation in emerging artists. Reach out to regional galleries, museums and art centers with proposals for exhibits of hooked images and educate the public.