Shamanic Beaded Sculpture

We are starting off our new year with an interesting project ... a soft sculpture using Shamanic symbolism and crafting techniques. 

Renée van der Putten, an artist who specializes in Shamanic sculptures, is going to help us create our own sculpture, a six inch tall earthmother made of felt, embellished with beads, sequins and found objects.

The artist

Renée van der Putten comes from a family of Dutch artists. She spent her formative years nearby Paris, moved to Quebec and now resides in Alberta and Ontario. While in Montreal, she received a degree in literature from McGill and joined a major airline while moonlighting as a costume designer and prop maker for the stage. She gleans her inspiration from an eclectic background of literature, the stage and her artistic extended family. By being a Tai Chi enthusiast and instructor, she keeps her body and mind focussed. Her work is part of private collections and is regularly presented to the public through traveling shows and exhibits. See more of Renée's work at her website, www.reneevanderputten.com.

About the project

Renée writes:  "Given that amulets from all over the world wind up in our dime stores, plus creating my very own, compels me to excavate my personal world of universal archetypes. I like to call my art "feminine"; my figures are highly adorned and project an exhibitionistic quality that goes beyond form and attitude. They show off their personal and cross-cultural assets and invite the viewer to reflect back on him or herself.

My figures represent the "matrix" holding and giving forth in a male-female embrace. In a world that attempts to alienate through polarization, I strive to integrate opposites. I use a technique of sewing beads and objects directly on a soft sculpture over a wire armature. I sculpt as I go; giving shape and texture to the piece, while letting aesthetics take care of itself.

The trick is to keep a balance between parts to be revealed or hidden when moved and turned. I combine over the many months that it takes to put a sculpture together, numerous complex elements, a myriad of symbolic connections and mythic attributes. As a result, a complex array of transformative elements is presented as one views, feels and manipulates a piece, making it Shamanic."

Bring with

Members should bring with them:  2 short beading needles, Medium beige (or dark grey) thread, A threader, if you want, 2 ordinary small sewing needles, 2 pins, Scissors. A felt tip pen in a dark color, and, any small objects you may have that you want to incorporate into this earth mother.

The meeting is held at the Simcoe County Museum at 1pm sharp until 3pm. The general public is invited to attend. There is a charge of $5 for members and $10 for non-members which covers instruction, materials and refreshments.