The Fiber CAFE
(Center for Alternative Fiber Experience)
at the Peninsula Art Academy - Peninsula, Ohio
For those who love exploring fiber arts.
Who we are:
We are a group of fiber enthusiasts that meet monthly (mostly) to share techniques and projects. We have created fiber art pieces to raffle to support the PAA, and a portion of the proceeds are contributed to Heifer International. Below left, you will see some of our pieces and our members at work.
In 2011, we instituted a new event, “The Crooked River Fiber Fling,” which allowed us to share our fiber art with the public, at venues throughout the historic village of Peninsula, Ohio. Look for this event to return in 2014. If you are interested in assisting with this event, please contact us at info@fibercafe.org.
This year we are conducting a series of felting workshops, taught by internationally renowned fiber artist Horst. Also, we will hosting the Ninth Annual Fiber Show at the Peninsula Library. Read on for more information.
Upcoming Events:
For the next two upcoming Fiber Cafes we will experiment with applying Encaustic painting over hardened felt. We are all just learning to do this so play along with us!
Definition: Encaustic painting or painting in wax, predates oil painting. Encaustic portraits dated from 100 BC to 200AD are extant from ancient Egypt. American painter Jasper Johns is largely responsible for reintroducing
encaustic painting into the contemporary art world. Encaustics, which are created with pigment and beeswax,have strong archival qualities. They do not require varnishing and are resistant to moisture and to yellowing with
age. They create a deep translucent result allowing embedding of other materials.To work on your own felt piece, you will need to soak it with liquid floor wax, wring it damp and place in its future shape to dry. Bring it to fiber café and we will proceed from there. Please call Carol 330-657-2681 for preparation
of felt instruction. $5 for supplies - free for members. You can also just come and watch! Please bring any show and tell you're working on. We'd love to see it and to share ours!
Past Events:
Annual Fiber Shows at the Peninsula Library:
The 2012 annual fiber show was terrific (again)!! Thanks to all who helped make the show such a great success: the jurors (thanks Carol and Rosanna), the Fiber CAFE members who helped to hang the show, the library staff, and especially the artists. It's not too early to start thinking about projects for next year's show!!
2012 Fiber Show
2011 Fiber Show
The October and November meetings have been combined into one meeting, Saturday, November 3rd. We will be exploring encaustic techniques for felt. If you have an idea for a monthly topic, please send us an e-mail at info@fibercafe.org.
In addition to our monthly meetings when we share projects and techniques, we create fiber pieces to raffle as fundraisers. Our past projects have included "The River," a woven tapestry representing the Cuyahoga River as it winds through Peninsula, based on an image from an 1891 atlas of Summit County at the Peninsula Library. We also created a Rya Garden Rug that was woven, but included a wide variety of felted flowers. It was beautiful! And we created a wall hanging, "Our Carbon Footprint," that was a collage of pieces using multiple techniques, reminding us of our environmental responsibilites.
The River
The Rya Garden
Our Carbon Footprint
