FELTWORKS - Artist at Work

Artist at Work

My Hartford, CT studio is in an old factory building next to the railroad track. I can hear the whistles of north- and southbound Amtrak trains and the passing of long freight trains. Tenants in the building include several artists, graphic designers, photographers, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and one church. In the back is Real Art Ways, an avant-garde arts center with large gallery spaces, café, and a movie theater.

In the photo above look just to the left of the top of the banner to see the two big north-facing windows of my studio.

This is my studio on a work day. The Backyard Coat is laid out on the right. The space is about 15' x 20' and has a sink. My work table is 6' x 8½' which is slightly less than I need to lay out the body of a coat, all in one piece. So the mat hangs over the edge.

Center photo: Susan Ferraro

Here we are decked out for Hartford Artists Open Studio weekend. My friend is trying on the Cordoba Coat. The Open Studio weekend comes the first weekend in December.

About three quarters of the people come as a result of my mailing list, which is now about 160. I send two mailings to my list—a save-the-date postcard and the official weekend brochure. Others come because of other artists in the building or because of the general publicity. I sell most of what I make on this weekend.

Left photo: Alan Spier

On the left is a professional photo shoot on a misty August Sunday. My husband came to watch and volunteered to hold the umbrella. Richard Bergen is the photographer and Julia Herwood the model. On the right is the amateur photo shoot in my driveway. A sheet of homosote is draped with light gray felt and the pieces are put on with pins. It works best on a hazy day when there are no sharp shadows.

Center photo: Alan Spier