Student workshop

As part of end-of-year activities at her local school, Lis Mertens ran a workshop for a group of Year 6 students. After a demonstration of the basics of feltmaking, the students made a sample of felt. They then chose to use their sample to cut and sew a mobile phone holder, to make a bracelet or to make another piece of felt in another design. The students were busy all day and very motivated and engaged in their chosen project. See for yourself their designs and wonderful colour combinations.

New arrival

With desert scarves and wraps selling fast in time for Christmas, Lis has added "Inari" to the Summer Exhibition at Studio Altenburg, Wallace Street, Braidwood, NSW. 

"Inari" was inspired by a visit to the famous Fox Temple in Kyoto, Japan, and depicts the tunnel formed by the vermillion tori ( or gates) leading into the temple. It is a wrap of handfelted merino wool on a double layer of silk and fine wool.

Felt Objects Exhibition at Picture House Gallery, Gunning

An exhibition of Felt Objects created by members of Canberra Region Feltmakers opens at the Picture House Gallery, Gunning, NSW, on the 27th December, 2008. Lis Mertens has entered an evening clutch of merino wool hand felted with hand painted silk fabric by Alison Alder.

There will be a closing at a time and date to be announced.

More desert pieces

"After the storm" is a hand dyed silk chiffon and merino wool hand felted scarf. 

Due to popular demand it has been added to the desert pieces available at Studio Altenburg in Braidwood, along with "Paddy Melons", a hand dyed silk chiffon and merino wool hand felted evening wrap. Both pieces are suitable to wear on cool summer evenings.

Outstanding Country Artist Award

On Sunday, Lis Mertens received the Country Artist Award at the Gundaroo Bush Festival Telstra Art Show. 

The award went to the most outstanding country artist who lives in the Southern Tablelands shires, including the ACT.

"Making Waves" is one of three pieces currently showing in the Group Exhibition which will run from November 6th 2008 - January 31st 2009 at Studio Altenburg, Wallace Street, Braidwood, NSW.

The two exhibition gallery rooms at Studio Altenburg will be open to the public showing artworks from many artists all over Australia. 

Gatherers

Taking "Goodnight in the gully where the white gums grow" by printmaker, Jessie Traill, Australia 1881-1967, as a starting point, Lis has begun a series of images using merino sliver and spun yarn to make an art quilt celebrating "Woman". " Gatherers" attempts to reflect the Australian landscape and the various ways in which women "gather" from it: be it tranquility, it's sheer natural beauty of pattern and colour or it's seeds which can both literally and metaphorically be sown to continue to reproduce in diverse manifestations.

Currently on display at Studio Altenburg,Wallace Street, Braidwood is a selection of hats and scarves, a wrap and a vest inspired by time spent in Central Australia this past winter. The pieces reflect the colours and warmth of the landscape and incorporate natural lines and patterns of the environment.

Exhibition at Birdhouse, Braidwood, 2006

"Winter Threads" was an exhibition of contemporary

textiles by Lis Mertens, Feltmaker, Martine Peters,

Weaver and Lucie Verhelst, who conceives her works

of paper and fabric in three-dimensional space.

For this show, Lis produced "hats and wraps and a skirt

which are sculptural in conception but designed with a 

clear concept of body shape so that they are eminently 

wearable. " (Kerry-Anne Cousins, Canberra Times,

Monday July 3, 2006.)

The show was opened by Mongarlowe Weaver, Sandra Von 

Scheidern.

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Lyons and Ross wedding

Beth Lyons and Jonathon Ross were married in the garden of Beth's parents' home at Clyde St., Mongarlowe on Saturday October 18th.

Lis Mertens created the wedding shawl from fine silk and merino wool.

She made prefelts and dyed them. Lis prefelted individual flowers which were laid out on the silk and handfelted. To complete the shawl Lis handstitched the sepals and gathered the shawl into an elegant bridal train.

Profile

Lis grew up in the tradition of textiles. She learned the skill of knitting, crochet and dressmaking from her mother. She went on to explore weaving and spinning while working at Spinners and Weavers in Sydney. She later came to patchwork and quilting, first in London, then with the Braidwood Quilters.

Lis' passion for fabric began with the Indonesian batik and woven ikat which filled her childhood and deepened as a result of her travels in Europe, Indonesia, Nepal, India and Japan.

Lis first attended the Canberra Region Feltmakers Annual Exhibition, bazaar and Fashion Parade, "Rapt in felt" in 2004.

Since becoming a member, she has had the opportunity to attend workshops with notable local, interstate and international feltmakers.

The "one-off" nature of felting to produce a unique piece each time appeals to Lis. The opportunity to explore colour and the endless possibilities of combining fabric ( either fine cotton voile or silk ) with wool, have been extremely addictive. Lis is particularly interested in creating fashion pieces whose beauty and warmth enhance the wellbeing of the wearer.