Cindy Kennelly

Now this is one HUGE fruit salad consisting of colorful, delicious fruit. I wet felted each piece of fruit using sheep's wool over a plastic resist to create the 3D form. Which piece is your favorite?

In early 2024, as my husband was getting chemotherapy, he taught himself to play piano. He wanted to ensure something positive came out of this time and treatment. As I watched him push himself, I also decided to push myself and make a series of items using only the colors of the piano key, ebony and ivory.

I LOVE color and use it in all of my work, so using only black and white seemed limiting to me - at first. I realized by using two colors, I was able to emphasize the shapes and processes of my work.

Wool is cool, but beaded wool is even better. I topped this vessel with an asymmetrical magatama bead. Pulling the thread tight allowed the beads to stand up and say - hey look at me!

Wet felting is sometimes only the first step in my artwork. In this piece, after I felted the scene, I needle felted ladybugs and a butterfly, added stitching, sequins, and beads to fully entice the viewer into my garden.

Butterflies are gorgeous, but they also contribute to the health of our planet. They will come to feed on the nectar and then pollinate many of the flowers.

Welcome to the porch and come on in! I created these oversized flowers using sheep’s wool and cheesecloth. The cheesecloth provided additional stability to ensure the flowers would keep their shape.

And then I went International! This piece has been shipped to Dublin, Ireland to be displayed in the Stained Glass Exhibit at the Pearse Museum.

The technique for creating this stained glass look consists of many steps. The felt is handmade, cut, and then repositioned and felted again. I used merino wool and viscose. The viscose provided the shine and texture which makes the piece appear as if it is made from glass.

I’ve established amazing relationships with people throughout my felting journey. One such relationship is with Beth of Mystical Gardens Flower Farm. She grows the REAL flowers, while I make them out of felt. I received some Diva Dahlia bulbs from her and they grew into the most magnificent flowers I’ve ever had in my garden. I recreated this beauty using sheep’s wool and a vintage trellis.

The layers of this piece took forever to create, but I think it was time well spent. This flower will last a lifetime and you never have to water it.

Created using merino wool roving and wool prefelt, this wall hanging depicts items reflecting in the blue water. The spirals remind my of ringlets that rocks would make when my children tossed them into the lake. The other colors are abstract versions of kites, sticks, clouds, and boats.

Everyone is worthy! Each square in this quilt is a remnant from previous work. These are pieces that would otherwise not be recognized, yet when put together, they shine! Some pieces are a bit wonky or didn’t get accepted into shows, yet their journey continued on. Each square is unique…and worthy! Each square was needlefelted, wet felted, or nuno felted over the last 5 years. All of the squares were handstitched with love. The visible stitching represents the love and laughter of people who hold us together at times when we do not feel worthy.

The softness of the wool flowers juxtaposes the black garden gate. The gate appears to not have been opened for a while, allowing the flowers and vines to make their home on it.

I based this bold wet felted number on a fabric used by Chester Weinberg. Chester was a fashion designer beginning in the 50s. He loved to use bold, dramatic prints which was fun to recreate using merino wool.

Using wool to create a 3D object is an amazing technique. I create vessels in all sizes using a variety of wool and embellishments. The process always amazes me!

Fiber people are the best! I’ve never met one I didn’t like. They are kind and generous and willing to share techniques and strategies. The template for this work came from Rosie Pink Studio. This concept takes the concept of felting one step further. I began by wet felting dyed lamb’s wool to create the thick, colorful fabric. I then cut the fabric into butterflies. I hand stitched the edges and machine stitched the butterflies, providing extra strength to the pieces. Finally, I pieced them all in place and stitched it together. Which is your favorite side? The top or the bottom?

He is the king of the jungle for sure. Needlefelted onto 100% wool, this beast enjoys a 3D effect of locks for his mane.

I love to learn! In a workshop with Flóra Carlile-Kovács, she shared her technique of making these beautiful rosettes. The possibilities are endless. The success of the piece depends on the shrinkage of the wool over a resist. With a twist and more shrinkage and work, the rosette blooms.

The secret to creating this purse was provided in a course by Natasha Smart. The procedure is to build the purse from the inside out. By laying down the scrumptious yarn first and then the wool, the fibers stay in place during the felting process. Once the process is complete, you turn the piece inside out and TADA! the fibers are on the outside.

Rainbows represent hope and we all need(ed) that during this pandemic. I used a variety of wet felting techniques and materials including nuno felting, stitching, prefelts and wool button strips for each separate panel. My dearest friend, Greg Racette, then designed and made this custom frame to represent my “windows” for my rainbow of hope.

I created Doris as a tribute to actual Leicester Longwool sheep at Mrs. Hartman’s farmhouse. The real Doris was a diva and a bit naughty. So I wanted to give this Doris a personality. She is a bit high maintenance with her lipstick and her curlers. (The vintage curlers actually belonged to my mom.) With her pearls and her rose she is quite the hot ticket, don’t you think? The locks used came from my two favorite farmers - Iris Creek Farm and Mrs. Hartman’s Farmhouse. Both of these farms raise Leicester Longwool sheep which have these long luscious curls.

Doris always travels with me to all of my shows. She even has her own carrier. Doris helps gets the concept across of how I use sheep’s wool to create my art.

I created this piece for a show at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Conjunction with the Perkins School for the Blind. The show was a multi-sensory exhibition aimed “at creating an immersive artistic experience that engages all of the senses.” Please Touch The Art challenged visual artists to consider how their work engages a diverse range of audience members.

Feeling blue has many different textures to experience: soft merino wool, tule, prefelt, and lots of wool locks.

Started by the daughter, finished by the mother…this weaving was done on a round loom. Contents of the weaving include everything from Leicester Longwool locks, silk swatches, yarn, and merino roving. It was then needlefelted onto 100% wool for display and mounted onto canvas.

It’s time to start listening…listening to the science that tells us that climate change is real and it is a crisis. President Obama stated that the “Catastrophic fires in Australia are the latest example of the very real and very urgent consequences of climate change."

NASA says that 2019 was the second-hottest year in recorded history. This global assessment is caused by humans’ burning of fossil fuels. In 2019 global surface temperatures were 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the historical average. This record-breaking heat is fueling the massive wildfires burning throughout Australia in that nation’s hottest and driest year on record. We've seen massive and scorching fires in the United States as well.

If you want to stop climate change, we have to make changes. We must make changes to protect our earth for the next generation….so that the earth does not become SCORCHED.

Hanging on a twisted vine, the black jute holding up the panel appears to be scorced. Panel created using a wetfelting technique with Merino wool, silk fibers, and silk hankies. Scorched tree needlefelted using Coopworth wool.

SOLD!

After a year at home, I created this piece signifying the importance of nourishing our bodies and souls.

The placemat for the breakfast is a little tattered on purpose. 2020 was difficult for so many people - especially those that lost loved ones and the essential workers. I made a grey prefelt and cut the silverware pieces out of that and added it to a merino wool background. I wet felted the bacon and eggs and added a little silk on top of the eggs to give them a shine. I stitched the pieces together and onto a blue gingham fabric. It reminded me of going out for breakfast at a diner.

Be good to yourself. Do your favorite things and eat your favorite foods. We got this!

My goal was to create leaves with realistic texture in this series. After creating a light and airy background, I cut out leaves from prefelt. I arranged silk hankies and viscose into the prefelt and wetfelted those. The texture is a felter’s dream come true! It is luscious and full of dimension and interest.

Look closely into this abstract piece and you will find an eye and also a ladder because in 2021 things are Looking Up. I incorporate wool ribbon into the wet felted merino wool background. Once the background was dry, I needle felted various Zentangle designs into the piece. This meditative drawing process also creates a zen feel while using wool. Once complete, I wet felted the piece and blocked it before hanging it on a painted branch for display.

This playful piece is highlighted on the banner for the Exploring the World of Fibers exhibit at LexArt. The different layers of wool were placed around a resist, wet felted, and then wool stems with open ends added to the structure. Each year I make a piece that shows my gratitude to the farmers that tend to and raise the sheep that provide the wool for this art. And this is my 2022 trophy to honor the farmers. Thank you!

Meraki is a term used to describe doing something you love. You put a piece of your soul into your work and that is what I have done with this piece. The flowers and buds are wetfelted and constructed with wet felted leaves and vines. I then stitched them onto an asymetrical merino wool ragged background symbolizing a piece of old bark.

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On Display: Concord Art 1/14/21 - 2/14/21

More than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food. Rising sea levels threaten this source. Sea level rise is one indication that our planet is warming. A warming planet continues to melt glaciers that contribute to the sea level rise. As guardians of this planet, we have to work together to combat climate change.

“Rising Tides” depicts how the buoys of the sea are climbing as the sea water rises. These wet felted wool vessels hang from a vintage 1940s clam rake depicting our dependence on food from the sea.

We need to better understand how rising sea levels might affect us all. My hope is that this piece raises our interest and our concern.

I love how my work has no impact on our earth. My medium is wool that is sheared annually from sheep. The fact that I purchase my wool financially assists farmers. The majority of my wool is organically dyed using flowers and bugs (yes, bugs). I love to create images of nature as I did in this geode. I followed a photo of an actual geode using the wool to depict the different layers. The curls that you see are from a Leicester Longwool sheep that have been dyed using avocado (AFTER they are sheared).

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My mom always had irises growing in her gardens where my sisters and I used to play. I have been missing my sisters during this pandemic so I spent a few days making irises. It connected me to them as I worked the wool and molded the petals. I listened to music from our childhood as I worked. I hope to see them all soon.

Fall is here and so is my new Fall line of flowers and decor. All items are created from raw sheep wool using either a wet felting or needle felting process. I make everything by hand and when you buy from an artist, we do a happy dance!

If I have a signature piece of work….this is it. I love making flowers from hand made wool. I use them in bouquets, on wall art, on wearables, and as embellishments on vessels.

I create the fabric for the flowers and leaves by wet felting wools, silks, and viscose. I then cut the hand made felt into shapes. I hand stitch everything together. I wire each flower so that it can be pieced into a perfect position within the bouquet. Finally, I needle felt anything that needs a finished look. I create a florist shop full of my bounty, and then fill my vintage vases with the wool beauties.

A crazy amount of work and love goes in to making each of these flowers. The flowers are double layers of wet felted merino wool and silk. The stem is then wired in and needlefelted. Finally stamens are added to the middle using a yellow Coopworth wool. No need to water these!

I create sunflowers in my work often. I love strength and boldness of this flower. My favorite process is to create 3D flowers and mount them onto a 2D needle or wet felted background.

Honey bees are one of the most important agricultural commodities in the country. Unfortunately due to pesticides and climate change, U.S. National Agricultural Statistics show a honey bee decline from about 6 million hives in 1947 to 2.4 million hives in 2008. Scientists are researching the potential consequences of the rapid decline of the honey bee population in the U.S. and how to mitigate its effects before it causes dire problems for crop management and production. Honey bees are essential for the pollination of flowers, fruits and vegetables, and support about $20 billion worth of crop production.

This wet felted wool and silk panel demonstrates the empty hives. The silk strands show where the bees once lived. Golden silk hankies felted in appear as mounds of honey in the hive. My hope is that this piece draws attention to this cause and ensures we question our warming climate. What can we do to slow down this global warming so that our crop production and bees are no longer affected.

How fun are these 3D spikey flowers? I created them using merino and tussah silk. The background for the piece is merino wool. Then I added Leicester Longwool locks, sari silk and lots of arm strength. I stitched the flowers to the background and stitched all of that to a piece of 100% Hunter Green wool.

When creating these pieces, I always appreciate the farmers and wool suppliers who provide me with such beautiful wool. Most of my Leicester Longwool Locks come from Iris Creek Farm. These locks make me smile each time I incorporate them into my work.

This sculptural piece consists of three layers of merino wool in two colors. I wetfelted the layers of wool around resists leaving the openings and keeping each bowl attached to the next for the layered look.

These sister pieces were created using teal merino wool with sari silk embellishments over resists. The vessels could stand alone, but together they make an empowering duo!

A cardinal is a representative of a loved one who has passed. When you see one, it means they are visiting you. They usually show up when you most need them or miss them. They also make an appearance during times of celebration as well as despair to let you know they will always be with you. My dad died in the Fall and my mom died the following Spring…so I made a cardinal for each season. I know my parents are with me always.

While I wasn’t invited on my son’s honeymoon, I did receive this picture that I then felted! The background is wet felted with merino wool. The trees were needle felted using Coopworth wool. The photo credit goes to my son and new daughter-in-law.

One of the original uses of felted items was clothing. The wool is warm and soft, making it the ultimate material for scarves and winter clothing. This scarf was wet felted using merino wool. It is soft and cozy on a cold winter’s night.

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This dino mom, dad, and son were needlefelted using Coopworth wool and special barbed needles. The needles entangle the fibers to form the desired shapes.

Border walls threaten more than just human lives. Walls block animals from getting to food, water, and mates that they need to survive. Borders weaken genetic diversity and fragment habitats. I had read a few articles about how butterflies were being affected due to the border wall (https://www.courthousenews.com/butterfly-caretakers-wage-two-front-war-against-border-wall/) and it broke my heart. My hope is that this piece will bring awareness to this situation.

The background of this piece was wet felted using core wool and merino wool. I stitched the border on and added wool roving at the top to ensure you could see the wall border. I needlefelted all of the butterflies using Coopworth wool and stitched those on. I then stitched the entire piece onto 100% black wool and affixed that to canvas.

I intentionally left the flag looking a little wonky since that was how I felt about our flag during the Trump administration.

This harvest was all needlefelted. The simple colors are scrumptous.

Growing up my mom had a garden out back that contained Irises. I made this piece for my sister soon after my mom passed away. Whenever we see irises, it is a gentle reminder of our mother’s love.

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“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~Pablo Picasso

I wetfelted this Moy Mackay inspired piece that hangs in my friend’s foyer. The wool used here is a Coopworth wool which I then needlefelted and added beads to before mounting to canvas. How blessed am I that others enjoy what I make?

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These lovely ladies were all needle felted for a lovely group of gals. I needle felted each of these angels and modeled them after each of the amazing and talented women in my book group.

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Where would we be without worms? This piece shows what we enjoy above ground and then shows the worms at work below. Wet felted with needle felted finish work. The carrots were inspired by my wool mentor and friend, Elizabeth Stubbs.

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There are four species of puffins and this one is called an Atlantic Puffin. Made for my cousin, I needle felted this bird using Coopworth wool.

Selfies are so trendy…but how about one out of wool?

The remembrance symbolism of the poppy began with a poem written by a WW1 brigade surgeon who was struck by the sight of the red flowers growing on a ravaged battlefield. I create the fabric for the flowers using dyed lamb’s wool and a wet felting process. In the process I lay out the wool and add soap and water and agitate the fibers until they form fabric. I then cut and stitch and felt the fabric some more. This bouquet shines brightly honoring those we love and lost.

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These wise and whimsical creatures are sure to make anyone smile. They were a well-received commission needle felted with love.

“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly.” This piece started with a wet felted background and then I needlefelted the flower and butterfly details before mounting onto canvas.

Sometimes you have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and that is what I did with this piece. This piece is more abstract than I am used to. The background is a super fine merino wool with prefelt pieces added. After I wetfelted the piece I stitched it doing some hand stitching as well as machine stitching.