Jill Spady
About the Artist
I am a self-taught multi-media artist. I’m a wife, mother of two and grandmother of 3 (with one more on the way). I started using felt to form sculptures when my husband was deployed to Afghanistan several years ago. My work has been in two gallery showings at the Big Fork Arts and Cultural Center as well as numerous juried art shows. Locally, I have had my work displayed and sold at Birds and Beasleys for several years although I don’t have anything there now. I’ve sold over 400 pieces in the last 10 years. I recently received a blue ribbon for a felted “painting” from the Orchid Society of Portland. I’m terrible at self-promotion so I usually back into opportunities, which I am always surprised by and grateful for. My former business name was Montana Bear Felting which is what most people who know my art know me as.
Artist Statement
Felting wool has been practiced since ancient times to make practical items such as clothing, bedding, yurts, insulation and coverings; always with an element of artistic expression. Colors, shapes and textures are evident in excavated work dating back to the first century C.E.
Creative sculpting with the earliest forms of art connects my modern life to the artists who learned and passed that knowledge down to us. This gives me continuity and encourages me to also share this knowledge with others.