Profile- Fiber Artist Perry Lowell

I have gotten off track with my series of artist profiles, so I am happy to be back ON track with this profile of fiber artist, Perry Lowell.

Recently, I have been featuring a group of artists who came together to create a book of freeform fiber art pieces based on the theme: Somewhere in my world.

Perry is one of the contributors to the book,

and I am so pleased to feature her work here-

I think you’ll love her felted pieces, too!

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My questions are in GREEN and Perry’s answers are in black.

1. Can you tell us a little about your piece for ‘Somewhere in My World’?

My piece is entitled Jungle Thing, and the text that describes it is “Somewhere in my world… if you claw your way through the jungle, you may find that it obscures a fall of crisp, cool water, under the blazing sun”.

It consists of two panels, one is overlaid by the other on a wooden hanger that has two rods.

The outermost panel is a collection of freeform vines and leaves in various green textures. The innermost panel is a somewhat stylized view of a waterfall under the sun. It requires the viewer to put their hands on the piece and manipulate it so as to get the entire picture. All of my work is meant to be felt by the viewer… none of my fiber art is untouchable. –

2. What was your inspiration, and has it lead to further explorations for you?

The inspiration for this piece was the last year of my life, where things looked obstructed and difficult to get through.  It wasn’t actually until I had finished the piece that I recognized the significance of what it was saying to and about me.

Jungle Thing celebrates the perseverance required for passage through the tangles and seemingly directionless progress to an end.

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3. The International Freeform Fiber Artists Guild is primarily focused on crochet, but includes so many other fiber techniques. Do you do other things other than crochet, and if so, what are they?

I primarily do felting, both wet and needled.

But I also spin, weave, tat, embroider, knit, crewel, rug hook, hairpin lace, bead, do mixed media and various textile art, and I’m learning to quilt.

I haven’t yet met a craft that I don’t want to try.

Or one that I don’t have the stuff for in my studio, waiting for me to try. (My studio is very very very full.)

4. What part of creating your piece for ‘Somewhere in my world’ was the most challenging for you?

Finding the time. I work full-time, and my studio is about 3 miles away from my house, so I really only get to my fiber art on Saturdays from 10a until 3p.

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5. What part of creating your piece for ‘Somewhere in my world’ was the most inspiring and fun for you?

I loved making the jungle vines and leaves. It was fun to go through my stash and find all of the various greens, and then even more fun tangling them into vines and making leaves.

6. What triggers your creativity?

An idea that flits into my brain, a piece or technique by another artist, a beautiful view… mostly something visual that I just HAVE to interpret in fiber. There is the everyday stuff that I plug away at, and then there are the inspirations where the idea strikes at my very core, I see exactly what I want in my mind’s eye, I’m driven to do it and obsessed until I complete it.

7. Which of the fiber arts speak most deeply to you?

Needle-felting. I just love the repetitive nature of it as well as building texture upon color.

8. Does where you live influence your work in any way?

I suspect that everywhere I’ve lived influences my work– I’ve lived mostly in rural and semi-rural areas, surrounded by nature in its glory. Most of my pieces celebrate nature in one way or another.

9. Is teaching the fiber arts a significant part of expressing your creativity?

I don’t teach, formally, but I really enjoy turning someone on to fiber and getting them hooked (so to speak). Any Saturday at my studio is “open house”, and my friends drop in to try their hand at something artsy.

10. Do you have a blog, etsy shop, ravelry shop or website? If so, what are their urls?

I have a blog at: smalladdictions.blogspot.com

Right now most of my work for sale is carried by the Danforth Museum, or available through me directly via my blog or at saxonvillestudios.com where my studio and Gallery 2B are located.

11. Do you have a crafting or arts community that influences you and is important to you? (online or ‘real life’). Is it important to you to be in touch with your peers?

I follow many, many art groups on Yahoo, and they’re critical to supporting me and inspiring me. Although I’m more of a lurker than a participant, I feel like I know all the folks so well. I’ve gotten so much encouragement from my online friends, including Noreen, whose creative energy I wish I could tap– she’s indefatigable. My fellow artists at Saxonville Studios are very important to me for inspiration, motivation, the creative atmosphere, and being mentored (thanks, Lynette!).

12. Is there anything that I have missed that you would like to share with the readers of Tottie Talks Crafts?

One of my wet- and needle-felted pieces, Time Passages, was just selected for a juried exhibit at the Danforth Museum of Art’s “Off the Wall” show. The two jurors were the senior curator of contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts in

Boston and the curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The patrons’ opening party was 6/12 and the artists’ reception was 6/18– I was humbled by how many of my friends came to the reception, and the exhibit will run through August 8th. This is my first juried acceptance, and I’m very excited to have this external validation of my fiber art. www.danforthmuseum.org