ANNE CORDER
I like to work with my hands, hence the dislike of CAD. I love colour and all the possible combinations – shocking or subtle – that can set a mood. I like both wacky and classy. I like textures - smooth with rough edges, or rough with smooth edges – it is a reminder that nothing is perfect. I like asymmetry with balance. I like simple - with a bit of chaos. I prefer what I make to be useful as well as ornamental. I like the challenge of making in three dimensions. I like the slight uncertainty of the final outcome. I can only work in natural light, to see the colours. I like to pick up the mood of the changing seasons and harmonise the colours, textures and weights.
Lots of things inspire me – rock formations & pebble surfaces; tree bark colours & textures; rusty steel and peeling paint, cloud formations and changing sunlight; the shapes of tree canopies in a wood viewed from above, colour combinations deep in flower petals, Indian spices and fabrics, knitting wools displayed on shelves (I have to touch them), coloured magazine images, feathers and textiles……
I make wet felted items, both hollow and flat, from merino tops and other more textured wools sometimes incorporating other materials such as silks, glitter, threads, chiffon, other woven fabrics and decorations. These may also be embellished with needle felting.
Eco-dyeing using natural plant materials, mainly on silk habotai and often incorporated into feltwork, has grabbed my interest recently and I am continually experimenting with different seasonal leaves and flowers and alternative techniques. Please click on images for more information.
Samples of my work can be seen on my Felted Forms Facebook page.