ARTWORKSOFMAINE - FELTED WOOL WALL HANGINGS

Felted Wool Wall Hangings

A sampling of works by Karen Anne Baldauski

FOX IN BIRCHES, 37" x 72". This felted wool hanging was juried into "Expressions", the 2019 Marin Society of Artists National Open Fine Arts Juried Exhibition in San Rafael, California. The juror was Paul Kratter.

THREE SEALS, 44" x 50", was also juried into the MARIN SOCIETY OF ARTISTS 2019 National Open Fine Arts Exhibition.

FORAGING PERIWINKLES, felted wool wall hanging, 38" x 25". Exquisite in its delicacy of effects and palette. The atmosphere by the sea is evoked using highest caliber techniques Karen has developed through experimentation with wool and silk fibers. NFS

"Her work should be hung in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYCity."

--a satisfied customer

In 2010, Karen expanded her creative work to include wet felting wool into wall hangings. That year, two large pieces (seals and a whale) were juried into a show at the University of Maine Atrium Gallery.

A self-taught fiber artist, Karen has mastered dyeing techniques since first exhibiting large cotton batiks at American House in New York City and was the first artist to show batiks the year Peter's Valley School of Craft (originally Peter's Valley Craftsmen) was established with its gallery in Layton, New Jersey near the Delaware Water Gap. Karen was a charter member there. And her parents kept a cabin nearby along the Delaware River where Karen lived for a while before making up her mind to move to Maine in 1978.

Felted wall hangings are great for visual impact. And the wool is beautiful to feel. It is a totally renewable resource that has so many uses...in addition to inspiring artworks.

As a practical consideration, any loosely hung felted wall hanging is very easy to transport...just roll it up! Karen likes to use as much Maine wool as possible in her work. The wool has been washed and washed in soapy water to make it bond together in a special way to turn it into sturdy art that eventually gets dried in the wind and sun before being offered for sale/exhibition.

"Two Loons", a work in progress (at the time of this photo) is stretched to dry in the wind.

This felted wool hanging uses hand-dyed Maine wool for the design. All of Karen's work is hung to dry, blowing in the wind! Each piece is well made to withstand handling over time and needs only light vacuuming to pick up dust or a good shake every so often. Eventually, this piece was stretched over a wood frame and framed in red painted wood. It was sold through Archipelago (the Island Institute store & gallery), Rockland, Maine.

"Birches & Cardinals" utilizes highly skilled WET felting technique. Roughly 70" wide, it can hang loosely against a wall from a rod. For easy transport, like many felted wool wall hangings, it can simply be rolled up for easy transport.

A Summer Day in Maine,

Detail, WATERFALL AND POOL, completed 2020. This wall hanging is suspended from a rod and hangs about 6 feet. A stunning piece using hand-dyed wools (permanent acid dyes) and Maine knitting wools for design details.

SPRING,

ENTANGLED, ENDANGERED LOON: 96" X 44" X 1/4". The loon in this very large felted wool wall hanging depicts the dire circumstance of entanglement in cast off monofilament fishing line often discovered in lakes.. In the sea, whales too can become entangled in floating rope attached to lobster buoys and mooring balls which puts them at great risk. Our fishermen and federal regulators are also entangled in constant battle with one another in efforts to reach reasonable guidelines for not only preservation of endangered species but also, preservation of the livelihoods of so many people who depend upon harvest from the sea. NFS at this time.

ENTANGLED WHALE wall hanging is also 96" x 44" x 1/4". This wall hanging is part of a duo concerned with dangers to our wildlife. Karen is a Registered Maine Guide and is very aware of things that can be done to help avoid endangerment. NFS at this time.

LUNA MOTH,

TWO SEALS SWIMMING, large wet felted wool wall hanging. White silk roving enhances the surface with subtle shimmer in the design details.

SOARING GULLS

RIVER ICE JAM, 7' x 30"

LAVA FLOW, large, NFS at this time

TWO SEALS, BLUE WATERS, a very large wall hanging

HERRING GULL, TIDE POOL, stretched over a frame and framed with painted wood

MOUNTAIN LAKE, DEER, CARDINAL, stretched over a frame and framed with painted wood

SEALS, GRANITE COVE

SUMMER NIGHT, SUMMER HOME BY THE SEA, stretched and framed

CARDINAL IN BIRCHES, stretched and framed

This is just a detail of the WHALE wall hanging which is very large, first shown at a University of Maine gallery 2010, one of Karen's first felted wool wall hangings, (with white silk backing, hand stitched). NFS at this time.

DOE, BIRCHES, CROWS, stretched

BLACK BEAR IN BLUEBERRY BARRENS, stretched

The Swimmer, hang horizontally or vertically. The piece may be suspended loosely from a rod or mounted/stretched over a wood frame to square it up and give a more formal/impressive presentation. NFS

This wet-felted all wool & silk wall hanging may hang loosely or be stretched and squared-up over a frame before displaying against a wall. NFS.