International Wool Symposium

2019-8th edition

22 - 27 May

Participating artists

Belén Sanchez (ES)

Begoña Ordás (ES)

Betty Sargent (UK)

Colin Higginson (UK)

David Iserief (NL)

Emma la Bastide (NL)

Gemma Calleja (ES)

Mariël Bisschops (NL)

Ralph Noort (NL)

Participating filmer

Laurien van der Zwan (NL)

Belén Sanchez (Spain)

Begoña Ordás (Spain)

Betty Sargeant (UK)

Colin Higginson (UK)

David Iserief (Holland)

In silent meditative drawings, I have been able to process the images around me and I have translated them intuitively into multiple studies. There was not a fixed plan. It was a dialogue between me and the environment.

I made drawings with materials from nature. The beautiful red color from the clay and the scent of the wool and the plants and flowers. As overwhelming the senses were, I had to just wait to give them all a place.

It is an amalgamation of these senses. The touch, the smells, the views. I placed the wool onto the water to give it a new meaning and a different context, as if it were clouds in the air, some rays of light finds its way through. They remained experiments and moments of grasping the feeling of this wonderful week, but I took with me such an amount of inspiration.

Emma la Bastide (Holland)

Title: 'Drawing and painting'

Emma was inspired by the environment and the people around her. That resulted in a lot of drawing and communicating with other people in her own, sometimes non-verbal way.
She chose her own creative path.

In the end, a few things naturally came together. Mariël asked Emma if she wanted to paint her designed drawing onto the canvas Mariël had fabricated.

Just before we went home, Emma finished the painting.

Gemma Calleja (Spain)

Mariël Bisschops (Holland)

'No Doubt'.

I started looking for rusty metal waste, to experiment and make rust spots on fabric, but still no idea where it would go, and how the experiment would result.

In the mean time I made brushes from wool and branches, small and thin, but also larger and very large. Then I looked for clay and charcoal to make different paints.
I used wool to create a stage in the woods.
Finally, a few things came together naturally and I asked Emma if she wanted to paint on my canvas.

Emma had been drawing a lot and was inspired by the environment. Just before leaving, Emma finished the painting.

I didn't allow myself time to think deeply. So no time to doubt. That's how it should be. It was a beautiful process and a great result.

Ralph Noort (Holland)

Ralph has been interested in other cultures and costumes all his life. He can count up to 10 in many languages. Ralph is particularly fascinated by Africa and has made many paintings of this country.

He loves dance and performance and has done them for years under supervision. His skills and interests came together during this week.

Without any preparation, working from his intuition, Ralph gave an African performance in the vast landscape in which he felt connected to the natural elements. The red clay of the land is applied under his instructions. The costume was made by him and other artists. It was a dream come true.