Needle Felted Landscapes
In this 3 hour class, you’ll walk through step by step how to create an 8”x10” needle felted landscape ready to be framed—no experience necessary! From creating a compelling composition to “mixing” colors to creating different shapes & textures to execute your ideas, Kristi will demonstrate general needle felting techniques to get started then you’ll experiment and play together!
Bring an image or two of a landscape that you’d like to create in wool or a sketch to work from.
Kristi recommends having a couple to choose from, in case one ends up working better than the other. It works well to have the photo either printed or on an ipad or something. You can also have it on your phone. Another option is a sketch if you’d like to work from your imagination.
When selecting the reference photo, Kristi has learned a few things:
Keep the shapes simple. If the photo is too detailed, it’s difficult to execute efficiently in wool. She likes sunsets, clouds, rolling hills, fields, lakes and photos with distinct horizons and big shapes. Trees are fun, but easy to get lost in, so it’s best to limit their quantity. Reflections on water can be challenging.
Feel free to take elements from multiple photos: a sky from this photo, a lake scene from a different photo.
A landscape painting, an image in your mind, a sketch or working abstractly also work great!
For now, please choose a nature scene that does not include buildings, people, animals or similar.
Primarily self taught, Kristi fell deeply in love with oil painting landscapes in 2021. In October of 2023, she took a felting class and was smitten. Needle felting as fine art has allowed Kristi to stretch and grow in new ways as an artist. Using the same principles & elements of design, color theory, and eye for detail that she applies to her paintings, Kristi’s on a quest to create compelling compositions by blending and layering fibers in wool.
Kristi teaches needle felting as fine art throughout the region and is known for consistently sold-out classes that emphasize thehealing nature of the creative process.
Class size limit: 15
All ages are welcome. Children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Offered in partnership with the Buffalo Area Community Center.
This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Central MN Arts Board with funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature from its general fund.