I’m Meghan Purcell - a wife, mother, and life-long creative, living in Montana.  Teaching art workshops arrives at the intersection of my formal studies in visual art and art education.  I’ve found that wool as an art medium in particular, has been instrumental in my own journey to finding my artistic voice.  It is my great honor to pass along this ancient human art and tradition, and to help guide you on your own creative journey. 

I believe creativity is an innate human need and essential to a fulfilling existence.  Often, our creative endeavors can feel mysterious and visceral.  How wool came to be my chosen medium is no exception to this.  From the first moment I saw the fiber being sold at the local farmer’s market, I knew I was going to somehow create with it.  There were large bags of wool ranging in a stunning natural spectrum from white to grays, browns and black.  It was one of those undeniable moments in life when you don’t really know much about something, but you are certain that this thing will be a part of you. This is when I began experimenting with the felting process and adapting techniques to suit my specific goals as an artist. 

That same stirring, magnetic, curious experience can also describe my time living in Montana.  It drew me in from the first visit and I knew it was home.  I’ve discovered just how effective wool is able to speak both aesthetically and conceptually to this very sense of connection that so many know and feel to a certain place.  The animals that provide wool for my art are nurtured by this land and the people that I share a community with, and in turn the animals give back to the land and people.  This interconnectedness and intention hold a lot of value and integrity as an undercurrent of my artistic process.  My “farm-to-gallery” process continues to guide me through the exploration of the multitude of ways we experience connection as humans.

WOOL SOURCE

My primary wool source is Wolf Ridge Icelandics, a sheep farm nestled just to the south of Livingston, in the heart of Paradise Valley, Montana.  I believe it is my obligation as a fiber artist to source my wool in a way that will benefit the people and land.  I also believe we have a responsibility as community members to support one another as we work toward building a healthy community.  Choosing a fiber source that upholds these two principles is integral to my process.  

The flock is pasture-raised using methods of holistic land management through rotational grazing. Through this approach, the forage quality, soil health, and water cycle all improve where the sheep have been, which nurtures natural growth recovery and a healthy landscape.  The washed and combed wool (called roving), is processed at a local zero-waste mill, meaning that it’s powered by solar energy and any waste gets reused or composted.