Animals and Ornament Emerge from Felted Wool in Holly Guertin’s Textiles
Alternating between felted wool, crochet, and embroidery, Holly Guertin summons moments of peace and reflection through nature. Lifelike lambs serenely nod off or stand in front of ornate backgrounds, while vignettes of foliage and flourishes incorporate colorful fiber. In her practice, the artist seeks connections between patterns and adornments and flora and fauna. “The brilliant color work in a hummingbird’s feathers, the spots on a pufferfish, even the stripes in a blade of grass are all ordinary moments of spectacular ornament,” she says.
Some of these pieces will be on view in the artist’s solo exhibition Hand in Hand at Waterworks Visual Arts Center in Salisbury, North Carolina, which runs from July 6 to October 10. See more on the artist’s Instagram.
