Kristy went to school for construction engineering for four years in Nebraska, where she grew up but always had an interest in woodworking. Eventually, she found a program in California, relocating to learn the craft.
Kristy began using reclaimed wood, including wine casks, redwood and timber from deconstructed buildings, to make furniture. This led to a 13-year career as a business owner, building traditionally crafted pieces, going to trade shows and learning how to manoeuvre sales/galleries etc.
After relocating to Oregon, Kristy had an opportunity to invest in a new business. Opulent Fibres was born, working with an Italian dye house and distributing for them. “I travelled a lot and hosted many workshops and had this incredible experience. Having instructors in my studio and being able to learn from them, even though I wasn’t in the classes, I was hosting the classes. And that’s how I learned felt making,” she explains.
Through selling fibre and yarn, Kristy discovered the sculptural potential of felt. “It opened up a whole new possibility in the material for me,” she says. “That’s when I decided to learn about felt making. I’m so tactile, and I really love the possibility of transformation into something totally new.”
“The process of felt making is warm water and gentle manipulation, but to create that dense textile can actually be very physical,” says Kristy, who makes a lot of her creations in a pond she built in her yard.
Kristy’s larger pieces take many days and weeks to create… so much so that she has stopped counting the hours involved with a project. “I don’t put so much attention on the amount of time that it takes; it’s more about saying, ‘Okay, this is this is the process, and it’s going to get there eventually’.”
Collaborating and accepting commissions
Kristy enjoys collaborating with other people and mediums.
“I find that stepping outside your box, out of your own medium, and working with other materials or drawing techniques from other disciplines will enhance your work.
Part of it is learning to let go and see where it goes. And then emotionally detaching from it can also be a good thing to work on.”
When Kristy is commissioned to make a piece, she allows the design to evolve organically. “There is never a concrete idea of what the piece will be,” she says.
Kristy has also collaborated with her partner, Christian Burchard, combining his woodturning skills to create a beautiful series of one-of-a-kind felt sculptures inside Madrone shells, which you can see on her website.