felt : ekphrasis
All felt artworks by Rebecca Peebles.
Show at Middlestate 212 Santa Fe drive, Denver, Co Aug. 4 - Oct. 30, 2023
Ekphrasis is a literary description or commentary on a visual work of art — in this case, poetry inspired by felt.
With felt artwork, I have to lose “what it’s going to be” and let it become itself because, like reality, this media can lead to unpredictable results. When I relinquish control, all kinds of awesome memories, connections and ideas come up in the process. Choices about color and subject just happen naturally. By completion of each painting, I have a string of thoughts that occur to me like a poem. The Ekphrastic poem is about an artwork, and here, the artworks bring the poem emergent.
Each artwork is accompanied by its poem — vis a vis — it’s title.
All of these artworks are for sale unless otherwise noted as a commission example.
Nuno-felt paintings
I didn’t have to be anywhere on Sunday morning
Before we all sat at the breakfast table dressed for church,
So I listened uninterrupted to Bjork, Reznor or Amos —
My own religion of felt feelings.
(lavender, white, reds, blue - felted wool on silk gauze)
31” x 26” (79cm x 66cm)
$800
Unexploited boredom
Eventually opens sight-lines through walls
I remembered this one day when I misplaced my divisive device
And felt I found a soulful, intuitive breakthrough.
(whites/pastels, brown, hot pink - felted dyed wool on silk gauze)
31” x 26” (79cm x 66cm)
$900
Laid back, anonymous on a blanket in the field
You happened to find me there
The moon was so bright, the stars mostly shied away
But the curiosity of lightening bugs blinked on and on
(deep blue, black, white, chartreuse & yellow felt on silk gauze) 36” x 29.5” (92cm x 75.5cm)
$850
July, churning peach ice cream in our grandparents’ backyard
We had no intentions to post or tweet or share, but Only to feed on
sweet peach and sunshine, cold cream and vanilla
Where we felt green grass underfoot, running and sweaty.
(white, orange, blue - felted wool on silk gauze)
31” x 26” (79cm x 66cm)
$700
Driving, wild skies out west of the Mississippi
Leaving the known—house and family and all that is East,
Flat lands lit from low late day sun
Under a theater of thunder, we stopped to look at our map.
(Greens, cyan, white, grays, & lavender dyed wool on silk gauze) 34” x 30” (86.5cm x 76cm)
$800
Under the wisteria vine at night, no time, no chimes, lying still
Long enough to smell scent and hear the night sky reaching
All the way down to my face and chest
Felt heavy with young longings
(deep blue, black, purple, violet & chartreuse felt on silk gauze) 31” x 26” (79cm x 66cm)
$700
Love Letters
Pen to paper, remember that feeling?
My grandmother wrote to me. I wrote to her. No matter that we lived a short drive apart.
her handwriting showed her musing, her rambling, other times it showed her rushing…
eventually, it showed her aging.
Nevertheless, her “xo” was more sincere than any I have received since.
(Felted natural white and black wool, dyed red, blue, chartreuse)
50” x 12” (127cm x 30.5cm)
$300
aspen trees look back at you
If you remember to look in the first place
And if your free hands had reached to touch them
Their smooth bark's white powder would have felt silken
(white, black gray - felted natural wool on silk crepe de chine)
50” x 12” (127cm x 30.5cm)
$650
love birds
two spirit Love Bird :
they is born. I think,
A love bird sings
from the heart of the world.
(yellows, pinks, & orange wool, needle felted heirloom quality toy)
$150
Love Bird :
Baby is born. I think,
A love bird sings
from the heart of the world.
(Brown, blue, white, yellow wool, needle felted heirloom quality toy)
NFS (Commission offered)
Self love bird :
Claiming “adorable." I think,
A love bird sings
from the heart of the world.
(white, blue, grey, multicolor wool, needle felted heirloom quality toy)
NFS (Commission offered)
bff Love Bird :
best friend, big heart. I think,
A love bird sings
from the heart of the world.
(multiple colors, dyed wool, needle felted heirloom quality toy)
NFS (Commission offered)
memory dream
Premonition: Hermano
While traveling in Peru, I knew I would know you. Premonitions — I don’t take lightly.
Drew a picture in my journal.
Ever since I met Hermano, He’s crossed his front paws Like how I drew his picture
Three months before we met.
(Hermano’s dark-gray hair & polyester thread)
4” x 2.5” x 3” (10cm x 6.25cm x 7.5cm)
$300
Memory Dream
Cried while watching a documentary About dogs and their human Companionship
Just the idea: How adorable and adored we would all be…
Sometime later I dreamed of A snuggly, blobby, cute, amoeba-shaped animal With many dark eyes gazing Directly into mine.
Then I got this dog, Siga - Greek for “gentle” - locking eyes with me.
(Siga’s gray-black hair, glass beads & dyneema thread)
5” x 3.5” x 5” (13cm x 9cm x 13cm)
NFS
Strands for Remembering
These dogs!
I can not love you enough. already I grieve over your life passing,
And so each time I trim your hair, I save enough to save you…
Or, so I hope.
1 — (Siga’s gray-black hair tumble felted, dyneema thread, brass rings)
1.5” x 28” (3.5cm x 71cm)
$200
2 —(Hermano’s dark gray hair tumble felted, dyneema thread, brass rings) 1” x 22.5” ( (2.5cm x 57cm )
$200