ABOUT
Stephanie Elliott
I'm a New York based artist. Currently, hand felting and most often combining felt with vintage Japanese kimono fabric or obi (an integral part of traditional Japanese dress, akin to a belt or corset). Attracted to the Japanese philosophy called wabi-sabi, I use this way of thought as I create my art. Wabi-sabi is appreciating beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and organic.
What is felt? And how do you hand felt?
Felt is most often wool from various sheep. Merino wool is commonly used in felting.
In the process to make felt I use loose wool fibers and soapy water, then work it so that the wool fibers basically tangle and stick to each other, by rubbing and rolling each piece over and over and over again! At a certain point the wool fibers become one piece of fabric. If done well, wet felted fabric is surprisingly sturdy yet still soft in most cases, depending on the breed of sheep's wool employed.
At its core my work is about change and transformation: the felting process, the cutting and changing of those larger felt fabrics into smaller shapes, then utilizing those pieces by sewing them on repurposed vintage fabrics, which have age added to their beauty. The finished artworks are examples of complete transformation.
I have experience creating artwork with a wide array of mediums over the span of five decades. Pottery, stained glass and mosaic, paper collage, wood carving and more. But it all started with drawing with charcoal and pencil and pen at age nine. My parents and grandmother, artistic in their own rights, encouraged my talent with the gift of private drawing lessons. Eventually oil painting came into the picture (pun intended!), as I attended School of Visual Arts after having attended High School of Art & Design. I have a degree in jewelry design from Fashion Institute of Technology, and a BA in English Literature (yes!).
As a jewelry designer for Bulgari, I used gouache as my medium to work up realistic renderings to exact specifications for jewelers at Carvin French to work from, where designs were realized as fine jewelry up to the high standards of Bulgari.
Other notable jewelry houses I designed for are Tiffany, Black Starr & Frost (Marilyn Monroe sings about both in Diamonds...!) Trifari and Kai Yin Lowe and Carvin French.
Upcoming in April 2024, my artwork will be in a group show at Grimandi Gallery, located at 988 Columbus Ave., New York, NY
Recently, I've been an exhibitor at the fall 2023 Craft New York show at Lincoln Center .
My work is represented and sold by the Guilford Arts Center in Connecticut, a place for exhibiting, selling, schooling and championing the hand crafted arts.
"Purple Floral" has been selected to be published by The Book of Arts: Aesthetics magazine and part of their international online group show, coming Fall 2023.
Stephanie Elliott