By Brenda Seekins
NEWPORT - The simplicity and ‘magic” of the needlefelting process inspires Bob Nichols of Brooks to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. In March, Nichols was the featured artist at the Valley Arts Showcase located in the offices of SVWeekly at 66 Main Street in Newport. Framed art, a three-dimensional sculpture and photos of additional sculptures are on display in conjunction with the on-going art display of the Valley Arts Alliance, a local group of artists and art supporters aimed at promoting arts in the Sebasticook Valley.
Nichols found his artform following an introductory workshop in Bangor in 2001 and a wool painting workshop the same year. The pleasure of creating art that is both fun for him and enjoyable for viewers undoubtedly contributed to his success earning a Best of Show win at the Maine Fiber Frolic a year later. Nichols works in fibers like wool and mohair among others to create scenic “paintings” for framing and also three dimensional sculptures. His creations include posed whimsical characters and landscape fiber paintings, including at least one near-self-portrait in a three-foot sculpture. The ability to use the same medium to create both types of art is a factor that inspires his creativity. The warm, tactile quality and rich colors of the fiber contribute to his enjoyment the chosen artform.
Nichols began his relationship with art and creativity with wooden sculptures and moved on to pastel painting when wooden works became too taxing. His introduction to needlefelting brought an opportunity to work with a product that allowed both sculpture and “paintings.” Nichols’ needlefelting is known as a “dry felting” process as opposed to the wet felting many people are familiar with in the creation of a non-woven fabric from animal fibers. While needlefelting also creates a fabric, it does not require soap and water. The resulting felt is also more dimensional than a wet felting process. The needles used in the process were originally designed for machine felting, but have been transformed to handwork, jabbing the fibers to form them into the art. The method used by Nichols is a fairly new artform in the United States having started in Europe in 1986.
“Some material, my hands, the felting needle (or needles, sometimes used in combination), and piece of foam to work on, to minimize stabbing myself, and Band-Aids for when I inevitably do, and I’m in business,” Nichols said of the process. The “magic” of needle felting lies partly in the nature of wool and other fibers. The tiny barbs on each fiber are grabbed by very small grooves on the thin needles and interlocked with the repetitive jabbing motion, to build either a flat painting or a sculpture by adding tufts of fiber like paint or clay.
“I think the process also draws another magic from inside myself: the feeling for just where and how to place the tufts of fiber, to create what I envision. Compared with wet felting, needle felting affords much greater control of the ultimate form and design,” he said.
Nichols will pass on the pleasure he has enjoyed in the artform with an Introduction to Needlefelting beginning April 5 at Stitches in Newport. For information on the classes, contact Jan Frost at Stitches 368-3340.
The showcase at SVWeekly is open to the public during regular business hours Monday through Friday.
Bob Nichols 
