Artist Barbara Fletcher has always loved nature, especially the ocean and its varied sea life. When she initially learned how to work with dyes in her art, she quickly began using ocean colors. Today, she's taking things a step further by combining her two great passions into whimsical fiber sculptures with aquatic themes.
Barbara's art pieces begin with her sculpting an aquatic-themed form out of clay. Plaster is poured over the clay and a mold is created. While the plaster mold hardens, Barbara grinds up bright construction paper with water to create her own fiber pulp. The pulp is chopped finely using a hand blender. Dyes are added, creating pulps in many colors. The colored pulp is placed inside the plaster mold and then baked in a specially constructed oven for up to three days. The baked and cooled sculpture is then painted with fabric dyes. The end result is an artwork sculpted from colorful fibers that reflect Barbara's love of the ocean.
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