Amarama Vercnocke
Amarama was born in Cloquet, MN, and currently resides in Rochester, MN. They graduated from Winona State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Studio Art. They are a self-taught fiber artist, and actively involved in local organizations such as Gallery 24 Artist Collaborative, Rochester Arts Ensemble, and C4. They are a nonbinary artist who likes to explore the art world through touch.
Amarama works in a variety of mediums including glass mosaic, cement sculpture, oil pastels, watercolors, stained glass, acid etching, and most recently, fiber arts.
They were awarded a SEMAC Established Artist Grant in 2016, and a public artwork grant in 2017 for ARTS4TRAILS for the sculpture series "Fantastical Fruits". Their "Mother Earth Goose" statue was originally made for the 2009 Goose is Loose contest, and can currently be found at the Rochester Civic Theater.
About Needle Felting
The needles used in needle felting have notches that pull the wool fibers together when the needled is pulled out of the wool. Wool fibers have tiny scales that, when rubbed together, catch and interlock on each other. It can take a lot of work to get the shape just right!
Sometimes, armatures are made from wire to provide support for the wool sculpture or make it posable.
Different types of wool felt differently, and have different textures as well.