My father introduced me to photography as a child. When I was a teen, he gave me a 35mm film camera, and I took it with me everywhere. Then, as it does, life happened, so I didn’t pursue it professionally until my 40s.
Making felt came later, and to me, both of those things couldn’t be more different from each other. Photographic art is detailed and controlled, while wet felting is tactile and imperfect.
Having worked in photography for so long, I was accustomed to being in complete control. After moving to digital, I loved that I could manipulate my images any way I wanted, and I admit that I liked working in a medium that fed my perfectionism.
Thank goodness I found feltmaking because there’s little room for perfectionism when your working with wool, and I definitely needed an intervention.
Coaxing the fibers to tangle in order to turn them into felt is more like collaborating with them than controlling them. Wool has a mind of its own and can sometimes respond in ways that are different than I expect. These surprises helped me appreciate the medium, and embrace the beauty in unexpected outcomes and simple imperfection.
About Karen
Karen Waters is a contemporary feltmaker whose current focus is on sculptural felt, using traditional and non-traditional wet felting techniques. With a minimalist approach, Karen challenges herself by limiting her color palette, thereby influencing her decisions on how surface design and form co-mingle.
Living in the Southwestern United States where water is precious, Karen uses rainwater in all of her creations. Having chosen an eco-conscious lifestyle, her home and studio are solar powered, and she sources wool only from eco and animal-friendly suppliers. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, art shows, festivals, and collected internationally.
Exhibitions
2025 “Soft Art”, Hado-Mark Gallery, Lenox, MA (Fiber Art)
2018 “Encore", 7 Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, NM (Fiber Art, Photography)
2017 “Warp & Weft”, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM (Fiber Art)
2017 “Across the Digital Spectrum”, Art on Barcelona, Santa Fe, NM (Photography)
2015 “Eye Spy”, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM. First Place, People’s Choice (Fiber Art)
2014 “Things with Wings”, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM (Fiber Art)
2013 “The Silence Between”, Solo Exhibition, Fuller Lodge Art Center Portal Gallery, Los Alamos, NM (Photography)
2012 “Beauty in the Beast”, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM (Photography)
2011 “Back to Basics”, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM (Photography)
2009 “All God’s Creatures”, Dry Heat Gallery, Corralles NM. First Place, People’s Choice (Photography)