Tufted landscapes (and the struggle behind them)

It's been well over 6 months since I picked up my tufting guns, but I'm so glad I did this summer. While this particular fiber art medium is still very new to me, I'm starting to get the hang of it and slowly developing my own style. 3 sets of tufted diptychs are ready to ship & hang in your home, and here's a time-lapse video showing a peek at the process. 

While learning to work in any new medium or figure out the nuances of using a new tool can take time (and lot of trial and error), it’s what keeps me going. I need to learn new things, always. Tufting seemed like the next logical step for me once I started expanding on my needle felting work and doing mixed media fiber art a few years back, but tufting has been a rocky road so far. I love that I can work larger and faster, but I am having a hard time accepting that the detail level that I’m able to achieve with punch needle, needle felting, and rug hooking, is just not going to be possible with a tufting gun (or at least not at my current skill level). I had to rethink my ideas and adjust accordingly.

Some of my other struggles when it comes to tufting are purely comfort-related. It’s a very physical art form - you are on your feet for hours and hours, the tufting guns are heavy and they take a toll on hands and wrists in a way hand-work doesn’t seem to effect me. Plus, it’s loud and messy, and I like to keep my studio neat, even though the whole point of a studio is to have a workspace where it’s totally acceptable to have a mess. It seems silly that these drawbacks are part of what’s kept me from tufting for half a year, but I’m just being honest.

I was considering selling my tufting guns and frame, I hadn’t used them in months, they were new and in good condition (and too expensive to just sit here and not be used). I wasn’t looking forward to setting up the frame and having whatever project take over my studio for days on end. Although I may eventually eliminate tufting from my studio I needed to give it another chance, a REAL chance, a chance to be it’s own thing and lead the way to a new style, a chance to change my expectations. It can’t do what I want it to do but it can do a lot of other very cool things. I need to embrace those things.

All 3 of these diptychs have a completely different style, though the subject matter is very similar. One is focused on two-tone gradients, one it’s very abstract and blocky, and the last has a bit of a stained glass or paint-by-number feel. I like all of them for different reasons, and it’s enough to push me to keep trying and keep tufting. I hope to add more tufted pieces to the website later this summer, but for now shop the small collection online.

Flat Out Under Pressure 24-Hour Art-Making Competition 2023

I participated in the Flat Out Under Pressure 24-Hour art-making competition this year in Greenville, SC and it was so much fun (a LOT of work, but worth it!). My mixed media fiber art piece included punch needled yarn, rug hooked fabric strips, and needle felted wool fiber. I’ve participate for several years in a row but this is by far the largest piece I’ve attempted for this competition (and I was really pushing my luck to finish on time).

The piece is about 20" in diameter, featuring a scene inspired by Lake Jocassee, here in the upstate of South Carolina. The finish piece, along with all of the incredible work made by 100+ other local artists is now on display at Metropolitan Arts Council in downtown Greenville, SC and will eventually be available on my website.

Hope you enjoy the process video!

Studio Graffiti: Raspberry Tart

Inspired by the Pantone Color of the Year “Viva Magenta” I added a brand new color way to the Studio Graffiti Jewelry Collection: Raspberry Tart. Using bold berry tones, pinks, red, plum and of course a vibrant magenta, this new color way is a great pop of color during these cold & dark days of winter. Plus, it’s an easy way to participate in color trends without committing to redecorating your entire house or buying a whole new wardrobe!

As with everything in the Studio Graffiti line, each pendant and earring is completely unique, featuring brushstrokes and splatters, so no two will ever be identical, even if the pieces were adjacent to each other on the sheet when I cut them out. It’s your own original piece of art that you can wear every day.

Enjoy this process video that shares how this hand painted collection comes to life, from the very first brush stroke, to the layers and layers of paint, laser cutting the modern shapes, and final assembly. These are a lot of fun to create and I’m already planning my next color way for the spring! I’m thinking something turquoise …

The new series is available on the website, retailing for $24-32, and please feel free to use coupon code RASPBERRY20 to get 20% off your order now through February 14th at www.onceagainsam.com

Commission Spotlight: Chimney Rock

I always enjoy taking commissions. Making felted landscapes for customers based on their treasured photos or favorite places is the most rewarding thing I do, and I typically take 2-10 commissions per month. However, during the month of March, I only took a single commission and here’s why.

Previously my largest commissions have been 24x36, which is huge for needle felting, but this recently completed felted landscape featuring Chimney Rock at Sunset is a whopping 36x48. It comes up to my hip! Never before had I attempted anything at this scale.

The frame didn’t fit in my car, I used several pounds of dyed wood roving and a total of 45 different colors, I had to put together 2 tables to make a work surface large enough, and I had no other choice but to stand and felt the whole time because I couldn’t reach most of the piece unless I walked around the table. Thank goodness for my standing mat! Needless to say this project was a challenge but I’m so happy with the results and can’t wait to work large again in the future. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

This piece was commissioned through LS3P for an upscale multi-family housing project near Charlotte, NC and the client wanted to feature a semi-local landmark in their leasing office. What an honor to create this piece for them! The scene was inspired by two separate reference images - one of the general landscape showing Chimney Rock and the second one was a vibrant sunset sky.

Since this was a milestone commission for me, I filmed my work each day to track progress. I don’t usually draw guidelines for my landscapes but on something this large, I worried I’d lose track of the overall composition, especially since I knew I’d be working upside down and at odd angles out of necessity due to the size. You can tell how long this piece took to make because my nail polish color changes 3 times during the time-lapse video. Enjoy the process!

Ready to commission a piece of your own? Pricing, frame options, and general info can be found here. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Shade of the Season: Lemonade

When the Pantone color of the year “Illuminating” was announced for 2021, I wasn’t wild about it. I’m not a big yellow person (with the exception of mustard tones), but the more I thought about this “Illuminating” color, the more it grew on me. I’m not about to paint my walls this color, or wear it head to toe, but I’m definitely planning on pops of this bright saturated yellow this season.

Introducing “Lemonade” my newest addition to the Studio Graffiti collection. A lemon yellow background with pops of coral, white, cobalt, and spring greens can’t help but put a smile on your face as you accessorize your warmer weather outfits. I really enjoyed playing around with brighter colors for a change!

Enjoy this new colorway at www.onceagainsam.com in the “Painted Acrylic Earrings” and “Painted Acrylic Pendants” sections. Here’s a peek at my process in the studio.

Hand painted acrylic, laser cut into jewelry. Watch the process from start to finish and see how the magic happens! This combination of handmade and high tec...