Fiber Artist Amy Dove is Butterfield Garage’s Featured Artist

Inspired by her resonance with the Sun, Amy uses natural fibers to create layers of highly textured, colorful, and three-dimensional blooms, massaging, kneading, rolling, and sculpting the fibers into fanciful felt fleurs du soliel. They seem to say: “Seize the synergy of the seeds and sun! Turn towards the light!” Amy will be present in the gallery from 5-9 PM to discuss her process and inspirations.

In Amy’s words  “Sunflowers – radiant, timeless, cheerful – demand attention! I see them as little star blossoms full of vitality resembling our Sun. In this series, I have created vibrant blossoms that delight the eye and, with their energy, draw the viewer in for a deeper look.”

Soon after moving to Florida a dozen years ago, Amy was introduced to felt-making. She was instantly captivated by wet felt-making and the various textures and blends she could create through the process.  She combines different materials – mostly hand-dyed –  to create layers of new textural expressions all while embracing the visceral nature of the fibers.

“From the very beginning of my felt-making experience, the process of transforming wisps of wool and silk into felted cloth with a little soapy water and agitation has struck me as magical. It’s that magical process, with its playful nature and subtle shifts, that leads to experimentation. My designs come from many hours of saying “What happens if…”  Amy is still intrigued by this art form that allows for the greatest exploration of surface design within a single medium.

Amy was born in West Chester, PA, into a family of art lovers. She earned a BSc from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science in 1984. After graduating she worked as a Jacquard Wovens Designer for many years.

Amy has been an active member of the Butterfield Garage Art Gallery as well as the St. Augustine Art Association since 2013, having won many awards for her felt works most recently awarded “Best of Show”.