A few months ago my friend June called me to say that she had given thought to the fact that our youngest children were both seniors in high school this year. Looking ahead she had decided that it was important for us to find something new to capture our imaginations and fill our time so we would not suffer empty nest syndrome when the kids were gone. Knowing that we both had a streak of creativity she had decided that we needed to find an art of some sort to fill the void and she started us on an adventure in fiber arts.
It didn't take much exploration for us to discover nuno felting and to fall in love. Nuno is Japanese for "cloth" and the cloth is created from loose natural fibers of wool along with silk or linen.
This weekend we headed to the little town of Wamego, Kansas to attend Woolfest and stock up on supplies. Hand dyed silk fibers, recycled sari silks, and wool of llamas, sheep and alpacas filled the old Columbian Theater on Main Street. We were like kids in a candy store.
June is a brilliant woman. Art is the perfect thing to fill the void left after the kids are grown. It involves taking raw materials, pouring yourself into them and watching the beauty that develops. You guide and coax as best you can; in the end you relax and see how it all turns out. Along the way things don't always go as planned. Often these unexpected glitches add a dimension and character the final product would have otherwise lacked. Each piece is a unique expression of grace and love that you've had a hand in creating. In its own way, each piece is beautiful.
Written February 2013
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