Bird Mask Workshop with Gladys Paulus
Last week I attended a wonderful four-day Bird Mask Workshop with Internally renowned feltmaker Gladys Paulus at Big Cat Textiles in Newburgh near Perth.
Gladys has been high on my list of tutors I’ve wanted to work ever since I started felting. Her three-dimensional work is exceptional and she is such a warm and generous tutor.
Layer one of my bird mask
I chose to make my mask using Bergschaf fibres and originally he was going to be a red kite……I soon realised I wasn’t going to achieve that aim in the time we had so he morphed into a generic bird of prey! Apologies for the fuzzy images but with a four-day schedule time was always going to be tight so photography wasn’t high on my list of priorities!
Sandra making her Blue Jay
Diana working on her Cockatoo
Caroline shaping her mask
Liz was always one step ahead of the group!
Sharnie working on her Lapwing
We all learnt such a lot in the four days and everyone came away excited and very pleased with their finished piece of work…..
A gaggle of bird masks!
My bird of prey mask
Thanks to Gladys for an inspirational workshop and many thanks to Alison and Netty at Big Cat Textiles for looking after us and being such wonderful hosts!
Lincs In Stitches 
Wow – congratulations on an amazing looking mask! Looks like it was a superb class. Hope your hand is healing.
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Love your mask Karen. It looks like loads of work and I hope your hand gets back to normal soon.
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Thanks Ruth. I should have taken a break when I felt my hand weakening but there was so much going on I just ignored it! Lesson learnt!
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Wow, wha a cool event, the birds are awesome.
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I will admit I was a bit in awe Sharon! Gladys is such a talented feltmaker it felt a real priveledge to be working with her.
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Great masks! I agree with Tracey, I’m not surprised at your color choice. ;-). But is definitely a natural look to your bird of prey. I’d love to make one some day, it’s been on my list for a long time. Glad you were able to do it.
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Hope you get to do it sometime Marilyn! I’m planning my next animal head now, it’s going to be an Impala.
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I do, too!
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All the masks are amazing! There must be a lot of requests from theatres for these?
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I bet you’re right! I couldn’t imagine making them to order though, they are very hard work!
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Oh my goodness, they are incredible – no wonder it was top of your list for things to do!
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It was fab Alex! Just hoping the ganglion goes down of its own accord….I could feel my right hand getting weaker as the fulling and shaping progressed.
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Oh my word Karen I have never seen anything like this before, they are fantastic! So striking. Yours is fab, ‘your’ kind of colours?? Great job everyone!
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Did you take a look at Gladys website Tracey? Her work is incredible! I hadn’t thought about you recognising my mask from the colour choice …..am I in denial or what?
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Yes I did take a look actually, felting at the highest level in my opinion. I didn’t have to guess which was your mask from the colours, there was a big clue when you put ‘My bird of prey mask’ underneath it……;-)
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Ok so that would have given you a clue!
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I didn’t have to be Hercule Parrot to figure that one out.
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