Fiber artist Amy Dove is Butterfield Garage’s latest featured artist. At the March 1 opening, her riot of three-dimensional sunflowers will welcome spring and dazzle gallery visitors. Dove uses natural fibers to create layers of highly textured, colorful and three-dimensional blooms, massaging, kneading, rolling and sculpting the fibers into fanciful felt fleurs du soliel. She will be at the gallery from 5 to 9 p.m. to discuss her process and inspirations.
“Sunflowers — radiant, timeless, cheerful — demand attention!” said Dove. “I see them as little star blossoms full of vitality resembling our Sun. In this series, I have created vibrant blossoms both delighting the eye, and with their energy, drawing the viewer in for a deeper look.”
Soon after moving to Florida a dozen years ago, Dove was introduced to felt-making. She was instantly captivated by wet felt-making and the various textures and blends she can create through the process. She combines different materials — mostly hand-dyed — to create layers of new textural expressions all while embracing the visceral nature of the fibers.
“From the very beginning of my felt-making experience, the process of transforming wisps of wool and silk into felted cloth with a little soapy water and agitation has struck me as magical,” she said. “It’s that magical process, with its playful nature and subtle shifts, that leads to experimentation. My designs come from many hours of saying, ‘What happens if ...’”
Dove is still intrigued by this art form that allows for the greatest exploration of surface design within a single medium.
Dove was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, into a family of art lovers. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science in 1984. After graduating, she worked as a Jacquard Wovens designer for many years.
She has been an active member of the Butterfield Garage Art Gallery as well as the St. Augustine Art Association since 2013, having won many awards for her felt works, most recently awarded “Best of Show.”
Butterfield Garage Art Gallery is located at 137 King St., St. Augustine.
