Momento
Momento
Felted Fur Balls
Materials: wolf fur, "Pine" scented oil, "Water Lily" scented oil
Large fur ball: 1.25" diameter
Small fur ball: .75" diameter
Fur balls: in progress
Inspiration
Woowan
Michelle Henning
Artist Statement
I used to travel to Minnesota with my grandparents in the summer. My grandma, owned a vacation home on one of the lakes in the northern part of the state. Every time we went, my grandma and I would go to the International Wolf Center. It is a place which educates the public about wolves and also houses anywhere from 2 to 8 wolves on-site. Every 4 years the center would get a pair of pups to add to the pack. Wolves are my grandma's favorite animal and, from spending so much time with her, became a favorite of mine as well.
The material is what gives this piece meaning, for a couple of reasons. The fur used for these felted fur balls came from two of the wolves at the IWC. It's also meaningful because my grandma's nickname for me is "fur". Separate, the two scents smell nice but together they represent the smells of being on a lake in the Northern woods of Minnesota. This represents my connection with my grandma and how I loved being with her when I was young. The water lily smell also reminds me of a perfume she might have had. The balls are different sizes to signify my grandma and me when I was a kid. The larger ball is the one that has the Water Lily smell because it represents my grandma. The smaller one is Pine scented to represent me and how I enjoyed being outdoors and sitting by the lake. The sphere shape is representational of our relationship in general. A sphere symbolizes unity. My grandma and I have always been a lot alike. I spent a lot of my childhood with her. My parents call me, "Mini-Carol" because I act so much like her. The smaller fur ball is a mini version of the bigger one. They are different colors, however, because we are not identical.
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