Held in Stillness

2025
18” w x 24”h x 1 ½” (felt on canvas frame)
Status: For Sale at Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

The right panel in the ‘Held’ diptych reflects the whispers of the northern night — when the sky is hushed, the lake unmoving, and light lingers only as memory. It speaks to the refuge found in darkness and the reverence of being still enough to feel the world breathing. These works invite pause — a moment to be held by the landscape itself.

I used unprimed cotton canvas as the felting backing. It’s more economical than manufactured wool felt, but it requires using a sealant on the edges to prevent fraying before framing. It also has a lot of “give”, meaning the final felted fabric can appear warped in places. The remedy is to find the areas with fewer wool fibers and build them up until the entire fabric has an even depth.

Almost every aspect of the piece was created using blended fiber colors. I’ve included process photos below that include the progression of color blends.

The photo inspiration for this piece was taken by my friend, Barbara Platnick, during an aurora event on July 7, 2024, over West Pope, a private lake along the Gunflint Trail.

The companion piece, Held in Silence, can be viewed separately for more details, including process photos.