Art is my primary language. It's how I think and process and communicate in the world. It's where and how I find meaning, balance and calm. Art, the creative process itself, is what grounds me as a human being. Every time I approach a work of art, whether as the maker or the viewer, I am transformed. The energy that a work of art embodies always gets me thinking, questioning, and looking at the world from a new perspective. This process, of being able to see the world anew continually excites me. So much to discover!
Most often, I choose to work in fiber, and have become known for the hand felted wool works of art and wearables that I create. Felting, as it is known, is an ancient craft that has been around for hundreds of years. It's a very immediate art form, both fast and strong. The materials are all natural, and organic. It's a healthy and friendly art medium, that also requires a degree of physical strength and presence. All of these factors appeal to me. I appreciate the history of hand felted wool, and am equally fascinated by the many ways that contemporary artists are pushing and pulling the medium in new and unexpected directions.
I invite you to view a collection of my art work by clicking here: http://www.jeanniethomma.com/gallery.html
I've been working with hand-felted wool for nearly a decade now. I "discovered" it by accident one summer during my school vacation. At the time, I was teaching art at a middle school in New York. I had enrolled in a 2 week summer art program at a retreat center. Just weeks before this program was to begin, I received notice that it would be cancelled due to under-enrollment. In need of some sort of workshop to jump-start my creative juices for the summer, I enrolled at the last minute in a weekend felting workshop at an art center in Connecticut. What was perhaps most curious about my decision to take this workshop was the belief I held that I was allergic to wool (I couldn't wear it because it made me itch and irritated my skin). So I arrived at my very first felting workshop with a pair of rubber dish gloves. That weekend I was introduced to a wide variety of wonderful wools...all quite soft and gentle on the skin. Needless to say, I never needed the gloves. And in less than 48 hours, I was hooked. The colors alone could have kept me mesmerized for years. A self-professed book-addict, I made a conscious decision that weekend not to look at any books on felting for "as long as I could last." I lasted about 9 months, during which time I gave birth to a body of work that I had created as a direct result of trusting my own intuitive promptings. It was then and remains now, a blissful adventure in color, texture and possibility. I also now enjoy owning a fabulous collection of felting books from artists all over the world--definitely worth the wait.
Since my discovery of this magical medium, I've taught the alchemical process of felting to over 6,000 students, of all ages, from pre-k to seniors and every age in between. I am constantly learning from my students and am always in awe of the fact that I get to share this incredible artistic process with others as part of my work. One of the things that I love most about teaching the process of felting is that for most students, it is a completely new experience. And with that, there are no pre-conceived ideas, no judgements, and very little fear about not being able to succeed. Rather, we all begin from that beautiful space of pure, unlimited possibility. And there is something absolutely thrilling about transforming raw wool into a solid and strong and often breathtakingly beautiful piece of fabric in a matter of minutes or hours.
My work as a teacher brings me to nationally recognized art centers, and into into public, private and charter schools as an artist in residence. In 2010, I was the recipient of a grant that funded a program I designed called Project Peace Flag, in which I taught the process of creating a hand-felted peace flag to over 200 people throughout Westchester County, free of charge. The program culminated with a collaborative exhibition in which participants and I shared a year's worth of Peace Flags. My intention behind the program was to put the creation of art back into the hands of the people. My inspiration to focus on Flags came from the Tibetan Prayer Flags, which are believed to carry the energy of prayers printed on them across the land as the wind blows through them, spreading optimism and hope near and far.
During that same year, 2010, I lost my father. And so although I was able to meet the grant requirements to complete Project Peace Flag on paper, in my heart, it's not quite finished. Of late, I've been exploring different ways that I might return to this particular project, in light of much loss, learning and love.
I invite you to view a collection of my art work by clicking here: http://www.jeanniethomma.com/gallery.html
