Julie Schwecke

As a retired art teacher, I enjoy exploring the natural beauty of Wisconsin's State Parks. The beauty of God's creation amazes me as I am roving from the shores of Lake Michigan in Door County to Lake Superior in Bayfield, and back to Rock Lake in my hometown of Lake Mills. Family trips to other beautiful areas like Glacier National Park also feed my image storehouse. The conceptual and physical photos I gather provide inspiration for recreating the beauty I see.

I discovered the wonderful medium of wool upon retirement and dove into experimenting with the variety of processes possible. I haven't settled on a favorite; rather, I enjoy bouncing from one to the other as the spirit moves me or as the image dictates.  

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Needle Felting

Using the simple materials of wool roving and felting needles, I select the fiber hues; then layer, position, and felt them in place using a barbed needle to create my one-of-a-kind wool paintings.

Rug Hooking

Using the time-honored tradition of rug hooking, I cut wool strips and yarn, then loop them into a background material of linen or cotton with a metal rug hook to create landscapes with an impressionistic feel.

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I design, draw, and construct each piece from a combination of cut wool strips and/or spun wool yarns in a variety of colors and textures to create each unique artwork.

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Wet Felting

The process of wet felting, for me, was only a matter of time. With natural soap making in my past, a recent return to making batches of my favorite all vegetable oil soap for family and friends, and my new love of all things wool, I couldn't help but go down the "rabbit hole". I started with wet felting the wonderful bars of goat milk and oatmeal soap I had made and soon took the leap to creating decorative wool vessels. The soapy sudsy process of working the wool with agitation to felt it is playful, spontaneous and addictive. 

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My hope is that you enjoy these Woolworks as much as I enjoy creating them and that they hold a reminder of the beauty of God's handiwork!