Ottawa born artist Maggie Glossop began to pursue her study of fibers and textiles during the years she lived in England in the early 1970's. For twenty-five years she has continued her exploration as a weaver, a spinner and yarn designer and most recently as a felt-maker. She is a well known teacher of the fiber arts, giving lectures and workshops throughout North America. The Ontario Arts Council has awarded her several Artist In Education grants to support the work she does sharing her enthusiasm and expertise with the students in Ottawa area schools.

Maggie creates her artwork using the ancient technique of felt making, processing raw fibre - wool, silk, mohair and a wide range of other exotic animal and vegetable fibres into fabric. She makes functional pieces as well as three dimensional works and pictures that appear to be painted but are in fact, produced entirely from fibers.

Her fibre images, which now hang in public, private and corporate collections in North America, Europe and New Zealand, are often mistaken for paintings but close examination shows an unexpected depth and textural quality that characterizes this unique art form.

Workshop

In the 2 1/2 hour long workshop, students will each produce their own piece of felt: a picture, a piece of felt to be sewn into a purse or glass case or if they wish, a multicoloured ball of felt.

During the workshop Maggie will discuss the historical significance of felt especially to the nomadic peoples of China and Russian Turkistan. During the Middle Ages the Northern Steppe district was known as "the land of felt". She will also have the students compare the felting process with other forms of fabric production with which they might already be familiar - spinning, weaving, knitting, etc...

** Maggie needs access to water **

**She will provide all necessary materials at $1.00 per student