We were lucky to catch up with Sharron Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sharron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
My life as an artist has given me the freedom to experience as much as possible of the world around me. I can choose how to spend each day: if the weather is nice, maybe I’ll take a long walk or do some gardening before heading to the studio. If the weather’s bad, I plan for a long day in the studio, but can choose music to keep me company, or a book on tape. But if a friend needs help, or there’s a volunteer project that fits my skills, I can do that instead.
This June was perhaps the most rewarding month — not money-wise, but in experiences — that I have ever had. More than a year ago, I started looking at pictures of medieval villages in France on the internet, hoping to find doors and windows that I could use as imagery for handmade felt wall pieces. I spent many hours on this, even making inquiries at the tourist office of one of France’s “Most Beautiful Villages.” This lead to a lucky break: a woman in the tourist office connected me to the town’s 15th century woolen mill, which is now a textile museum.
The mill director invited me to have a show of the handmade felt pieces I did based on the doors and windows I found, and to come to the Dordogne Valley to teach a workshop on my techniques. The show has been at the mill all summer, and will move to a new exhibition space in October, which is good. But even better was seeing the places that I’d only seen in photographs, and meeting fellow textile lovers in France. While we were there, my husband and I got to explore castles, abbeys, cave dwellings, medieval villages, and lots more — perhaps leading to a whole new series of artworks.
Sharron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been a fiber artist for many years, having studied textile techniques at Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and various workshops, etc. But when I saw the 2500-year-old felt pieces discovered in Siberian tombs, I knew that was what I wanted to do. The way that dyed, unspun wool and yarns can be transformed into colorful, textural wall pieces is almost magical. I believe that my work is quite unique, and can add warmth and personality to a space.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Freedom. Freedom to choose what you want to do, and how you want to do it — basically, to follow your heart. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard, give up some luxuries, or take a boring job at least part of the time to pay bills. But when you get to work in the studio, you get to devote all your attention to what you care about most, whether it is perfecting your skills, trying something new, or just getting caught up in the process of creating something you care about.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Just to keep trying new things, learning new things, and if possible, adding to the beauty of the world. That can be anything from the routine of picking up litter to the much more exciting task of finishing a wall piece that I’m proud of — it makes me feel like I’ve used my time well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SharronParker.com
- Instagram: Duchess1nc
- Facebook: Sharron Parker / Handmade Felt