Tryon Arts & Crafts School announces August Artist of the Month, Irene Heckel-Volpe. Visit TACS to see the display of Irene’s soft sculpture fiber art through Saturday, August 31.

 

Irene has created soft sculpture fiber art since 1986. Starting with collectible mohair teddy bears, she has been designing and creating soft sculpture fiber art for over 30 years.

 

Self-taught, she developed techniques that pushed her to continue designing and developing. Most of her work makes use of mixing her media. 

 

She has also developed needle felting classes which teach the how to…but also using imagination and technique to create everything from 3D sculpture, to embellishment, and using fiber to create paintings.  

 

One of the exhibited artworks, “Galahad – Flowers for a Lady” depicts a charming character holding a sweet bouquet surrounded by books of love poems. “Hocus Pocus” features a rabbit whimsically performing magic from his hat.

 

“I hope that I can convey some of the wonder I still feel when I approach a project, knowing that I have a specific idea in mind, but am willing to go where the fiber takes me. Hopefully, you will also enjoy the journey and discover what this wonderful, mysterious technique called needle felting is all about. Needle felting is a continuous journey…” Irene has taught several classes at Tryon Arts and Crafts School since 2018.

 

Needle felting can be very simple or as complex and detailed as you wish to make it. It is a free-flowing craft with no real patterns or forms and is limited only by the imagination.

 

For more information about this artist or the school, please contact the office at (828) 859-8323 or visit our website, www.TryonArtsandCrafts.org.

 

Submitted by Will Barclift