SHEEPFOLDS AND FELTMAKING

At Bridekirk Dovenby CE School, near Cockermouth, the whole school was working on a cross-curricular topic 'Discovering Lakeland' which involved learning about the landscape, famous landmarks, artists and poets who worked there, geography and local history. Visits and visitors had been arranged. The art of the felt-maker, Jenny Cowern, therefore, complemented this work well and she ran workshops with fifteen of the Year 6 pupils. As the Headteacher reported, 'the children were used to painting and claywork as well as technology. However, felt-making was something totally new . . . and many have imparted their knowledge to parents and other children.'

The artist accompanied the school on a visit to the Mungrisdale folds to collect information, sketch and consider ideas for their own 'felt' wall. The limitation of the time available prevented the original idea of producing a complete image of the fold, but, nevertheless, the group was able to make a detailed wall-hanging based on a section of dry stone wall. As well as teaching the technique of felt-making, Jenny Cowern explained clearly the history and usage of felt and why wool behaves in the way it does.The project also made the connection between the raw material, the fleece and the purpose of the sheepfolds.

The first stage of the process was to produce a large background mat of felt using natural black and dark dyed wools from Shetland and Black Welsh sheep. This group piece formed the dark spaces-in-between the stones which were then made by the individual children and felted into the background to form the surface of the wall. These separate felt 'stones' were worked on in lighter coloured wool fibres to show images of the landscape, sky, hills and sheep that the children had seen and recorded on their visit. The finished piece had a lovely patchwork quality with bright coloured images of the landscape embedded in it.

Artist Jenny Cowern
Contact teacher Helen Tinnion, Headteacher. Tel: 01900 325935

Photograph: Jenny Cowern with pupils felting the back of the wall hanging; the finished 'felt' wall.