Artist Profile
STATEMENT
Handmade felt, a Stone Age textile, is a compelling medium for me. The simplicity of the technique – working combed wool in hot water until the fibers lock – allows me a wide range of possibilities in form, surface texture, and color. The focus of much of my work is light: how it plays on the surface of water, butterfly wings, even an Icelandic sky. My favorite artist’s quote is Robert Motherwell’s “The function of the artist is to express reality as felt.” I have enjoyed doing just that.
BIOGRAPHY
Sharron Parker studied many textile techniques, both in college and at places like Penland and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. But when she saw 2,500-year-old felts from an archaeological dig in Siberia she was intrigued, tried felting, and has now worked in the medium for more than 40 years. Over these years she has developed her own approach, creating wall pieces with an emphasis on color and texture. Recent publications including her work are Fiber Art Now (Summer/Fall 2021) and Artistry in Fiber Vol. 1: Wall Art. She has exhibited throughout the US, in France, and through the Art in Embassies program, in Armenia and Turkmenistan.