Ann Smith - For the Love of Fibre & Felt. New work inspired by countryside and coast

Ann’s artwork is an explosion of colour in beautiful wool fibres. Using a selection of Merino, Blue Face Leicester, silks, wool nepps, wool curls, wool pebbles and much more, she creates visual interest and texture. Colours and fibres are carded to make beautiful blends, which are used to form the background of each piece.

Her wool felt 'paintings' depict her love of the outdoors with inspiration taken from the countryside, coastlines and a range of flora. The results are always colourful and brimming with texture and surface interest.

Each piece is made by hand using the wet-felting technique with needle felting adding the finer details. Hand and free motion embroidery stitching complete the work and enhance the uniqueness of each piece.

Ann says of her work: The joy of felting is that you are never quite sure how each piece is going to come out after the fulling process is complete. This can result in some exciting blends, colour combinations and surface interest within the piece. It all adds to the look of the finished ‘painting’.