Sue McFarland

Wool and Weft

49 Conway Street
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
(413) 522-4944
woolnweft@gmail.com

Sue McFarland has been weaving since 1982. She has a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in painting, attended the Art Institute of Boston, and has a BA in Arts Administration from UMass. She received her master’s degree from Lesley University in the Creative Arts and Learning Program. Her focus was on integrating the visual and fiber arts into the traditionally academic disciplines.

Sue maintains a studio in Buckland, MA. She not only sells her work at retail fairs and select galleries in MA, CT and VT but also conducts workshops incorporating the fiber arts for K-12 students, adults and educators. Sue has studied VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) and as a trainer/practitioner, she helps students develop critical thinking skills through the observation of fine art.

She has been published in the Interweave Press journal “Hand-woven” for her chenille tapestry scarves and her design for felted and needle woven Temari ornaments is in the November 2007 issue. All of her unique accessories are designed, woven, and finished by her own hand.

“True creativity can only exist within the confines of limitations. It is when we must overcome obstacles or work within a given structure that our creative process comes into play. Our artwork is our response to those limitations. As a textile artisan I must always be conscious of how the fiber interacts on both a design level and a structural level. My challenge has always been to create aesthetically intriguing objects that are also functional.”