On authentic creativity and ethics. Interviews.

An interesting feature and interview with 3 textile artists - Elis Vermeulen. Visual artist., Andrea Graham and me, Vilte Kazlauskaite - on authentic creativity and ethics, published in Australian magazine "Felt" ArtWear Publications, issue 12, 2014. Thoughts spinning around creative identity, true self, balance, ethics, etc. And one of my most favorite quotes from this article is the answer of Elis on a question of stimulation of revealing one's true self:
"Stimulation is not a word I would use myself, I would rather say there is no other way. I do not see the reason to reveal someone else's thoughts as if they were mine. Same as I only want to live my life and not someone else's I guess".

Vilt Kontakt

 

Dutch ViltKontakt magazine
Autumn 2014, Number 42
Cover & interview

Authentic Creativity and Ethics

Australian Felt magazine publishing my article on Authentic Creativity and Ethics http://artwearpublications.com.au/subscriptions/felt-magazine.html(by ArtWear Publications)
With the editor's note by Wendy Bailye:
"We have a special article by Vilte on ethics and authenticity - a very timely topic. With the growth of the internet and with so many images of precious work being published, there are ever increasing concerns about people copying other peoples work and denying their own creative selves. Vilte presents us with some interesting research and questions".
Photography in the article is by me and SVETLANA BATURA* fotografija. And thank you to our beautiful models - Beata Molyte and Helman Lik.
This article is the first part - a theoretical, psychological, research approach to the matter. The second part of the article will be published in December issue with interviews with some of very well known textile artists, as well as my personal point of view.

Belle Armoire

I think I have forgotten to show this feature on the blog. Lovely memories of the Summer too – a feature in Belle Armoire, Summer 2012, volume 12 issue 2, feat. in pg. 18-23.

Many thanks for Svetlana Batura, who made all photography for this article.

The Wool Lab–trends for Summer 2013

It was really an honor to collaborate with the Wool Lab company in their trends booklet for Spring Summer 2013, - a guide to the best wool fabrics and yarns in the world. My pieces were chosen for one of the trends named PURE.

One of the most important things is to bring inspiration to people’s hearts. Isn’t it?

 

Books

There were couple of books on feltmaking published recently that included images of my felt pieces as well.

One was a very big project I would say - “500 Felt Objects” published by Lark Books.

 

First it strikes you with the versatility of what the felt can be – it is really an enormous collection of various felt pieces in different forms – from tiny crafts to art objects. Endless applications and the most diverse techniques that one ever dreamt of fulfilling or would be so much surprised to discover in this book.

 

  My "Wild Pigeon" in "500 Felt Objects"

 

 

  My "Iris Wattii" in "500 Felt Objects"

 

 

The other thing that strikes you is when you think that all of these works were collected for review in the very beginning of 2010, i.e. almost 2 years ago, and then you think what big path all those feltmakers have already travelled in their creative expressions since that time and how astonishing it must be to see all of their works at this moment.

It’s a beautiful gallery book for people who are interested in felt as a textile medium. The idea of the book was great though there are still some weaker points in its materialization I believe. The idea, design, format, and publishing claim for a solid and solemn publication, though some photos do surprise you in the lack of simplest quality and higher class of presentation of the object. And I am not speaking of the tastes here as they differ so much individually. The other thing that might surprise a person who has a better knowledge of feltmakers’ world already is the criteria the curator chose some photos of a particular author to be published. Some of them don’t really reveal the spirit of the author at all (e.g. the only yellow carpet by Claudy Jongstra and purses of Agostina Zwilling). This makes you doubt if there was enough of time for the publishers to really examine the submitted images and review the authors or maybe a little drop of energy and enthusiasm in bringing the idea to life.

Despite these two little things I felt like mentioning, it is really the book what its title says it to be – 500 Felt Objects. Creative Explorations of a Remarkable Material. A material to be discovered and explored. And get inspired! And a quite true reflection of the felt making world in present times.

 

The second book I was going to mention is written by a Russian author Ксения Шинковская - "Войлок" (“Felt”) – a little encyclopedia of many various techniques used in feltmaking. A very eclectic and informative book that included several images of my felt pieces that you can see on my Facebook page.

In the making. What is felt II

We choose a lot of things spontaneously in our lives, only later realizing the meanings of the processes. I had been a dancer for 10 years in my life and I quit dancing as I started my psychology studies. I always longed for dance and just recently realized that perhaps felt in some way has become a compensation for dancing . It’s not me who is dancing now but my hands make the wool and other fibers dance, move, entangle, interlock. If one could film this process with a macro camera, we would see a dance of these migrating fibers. Even my finished pieces have movement encoded in them, they are flowing, organic, and never static.

It’s my quote from the article that was written about me and my work in Dutch magazine about felt VILT Kontakt

THIMISTER MMXI-MMXII

I’ve just returned from Paris fashion week where I was to see a collection of Josephus Thimister, for whom I made 2 coats and several capelets. And… I don’t want to say more right now except the text of Josephus that accompanied the collection…


THIMISTER MMXI-MMXII
SNOW MYSTIC CIRCLES OF FALLEN ANGELS
DARKNESS STARES OUT THROUGH ENDLESS TIME AND YOUTH, TAKING FORM OF FALLEN ANGELS – BLACK COMPILES ILLUSION AS INNOCENT SOULS ENLIGHTEN SHADOWS – BROKEN WINGS GROW OUT OF CIRCLES, TOUCHING EARTH WITH FLOWING MEMENTOS – INTRICATE CUTTING OF FABRICS, ENVELOPE BODIES LIKE FLUID SCULPTURES RUNNING FROM MEDIEVAL CLOISTERS AS MODERN WARRIORS – BIG BLACK COATS BECOME SHRINES OF SOULS – CONFUSED THOUGHTS ARE FROZEN INTO WILD KNITS AS WHITE OPPOSES BLACK – THUNDER AND LIGHTENING STRIKE THROUGH THE MUSIC THAT RINGS IN OUR EARS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ECHOES OF SHATTERING HEELS – EPHEMERAL WRAPPINGS STORM AROUND BODIES WITH HURRICANE FORCE – THE SOIL IS ALIVE AND PROCESSING WHILE NATURE RECOGNIZES ITS BALANCE – STORMY CLOUDS DESCEND UPON SHOULDERS COVERING THEM IN HUES OF GREY – NORTHERN LIGHT APPEARS FROM THE DEEPEST PROFOUNDNESS – SNOWFLAKES MURMUR QUESTIONS AS BLACK SNOW BREEZES SOFT POETRY – BIBLICAL WOOL OF JACOBIN SHEEP IS FELTED IN ANCESTRAL WAYS INTO CAPES AND COATS TRAILED BY ETHEREAL CHIFFON – SNOW BREATHS THE REMINISCENT AIR OF OUR DEAR TOLSTOI
- JOSEPHUS MELCHOIR THIMISTER

 Photos from style.com

These are the felt pieces I made for Josephus. See the whole collection at style.com

Book “Veltinis”

So a month of intensive work of editing and curating photos for my book “Veltinis” has passed and the book is already on the shelves of the bookstores. It is the second edition of my book that was first published in 2008. But this time it has even more techniques and tips for success, as well as new photos and new design.
Here I must say big thank you to young talented designer who worked on the book with me – Tomas aka promopocket. Love his contemporary and clean approach to the design. Thank you, Tomas!
Thank you to everyone who helped in any way to publish this book. And really big thanks to my readers who were contacting and contacting my publisher until he asked me to repeat the book again :)
It has been the first book about felt in Lithuania. The book is in Lithuanian language only, but it is full of inspiring photos of works of Lithuanian feltmakers (as well as 2 from neighbor countries).
The book covers basic felting techniques, lots of tips for success and creative surface decoration. It's a book for inspiration and encouragement for your creativity in the world of felt. Could be purchased here.

FUN!

I got something very special for me in my mailbox yesterday! Copies of German felt magazine FUN! And guess what – My “Little red riding hood” nuno felted hood-shawl is on the cover!

Then you can find my felted coasters “Cafe Mocha” in the editorial!

And finally a beautifully written article about me and my felt by Sonja Scheungrab

 
The magazine features many talented felt makers from over the world and I really felt honoured to be featured among them. FUN is a very well done magazine, professional and of high quality. It’s a pleasure to look at and read it – there are many interesting articles that focus on artists and how they came there where they are now. I wish that one day this magazine was published in English as well.
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Vokiškame žurnale apie veltinį straipsnis apie mane ir mano veltinį. Džiaugiuosi, jog mano šalis-gobtuvas “Raudonkepuraitė” papuolė ant žurnalo viršelio. Beje, labai kokybiškas ir įdomus leidinys  tiems, kurie domisi veltinio pasauliu.

VILTE – new name and new logo

Some of you might have noticed that I’ve changed the name for my “brand” to VILTE.

VILTE was chosen as a “brand” name not just for it’s my name, but for its linguistic similarity to the word “vilt” (in Old Dutch it means “felt”) from which the Old English “felt” was actually derived. Having “felt” encoded in my name, I think it would have been a sin not to use it as a “brand” :)

My website address is also changing to http://www.vilte.net and it is going for a face lift. Very soon you will see a new design and a new concept of presenting my work!

And of course – I have a new logo that has already been noticed by the editor of my favourite eco minded fashion blog ECCO*ECO Abigail Doan who was so kind to put it to ECCO*ECO side bar! Thank you, Abigail!

And one more announcement to make – I have opened my own online store at bigcartel with prices in Euros at http://vilte.bigcartel.com

There won’t be many items listed for now as it’s a test, but anyway, you are very welcome to visit my store there. Payments are accepted via Paypal.

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Kai kurie iš jūsų tikriausiai jau pastebėjote, jog “persikrikštijau’ į VILTE.

Ne tik dėl to, jog tai mano vardas, matyt daugiausiai dėl to, jog VILTE lingvistiškai tokia panaši į senosios olandų kalbos žodį “vilt”, kuris reiškia “veltinį” (būtent iš “vilt” ir yra kilęs angliškas “felt”).  Tad jei jau mano varde užkoduotas veltinis, matyt nuodėmė būtų jo nepanaudoti kaip pavadinimo :)

Mano tinklapio adresas taip pat keičiasi į http://www.vilte.net Keisis ir jo išvaizda. Netgi visiškai netrukus.

Atsirado ir mano logotipas, kurį, kaip džiugu paminėti, pastebėjo eko mados blogo redaktorė Abigail Doan ir įtraukė į ECCO*ECO ! Ačiū, Abigail!

Na ir dar viena naujiena – atidaryta mano asmeninė parduotuvėlė tinkle http://vilte.bigcartel.com. Tiesa, tai daugiau eksperimentinis projektas ir pardavimui siūlomų daiktų skaičius bus nedidelis. Kainos pateiktos eurais, apmokėjimai  priimami Paypal sistema.

My Christmas gift from Etsy community

I received a wonderful gift from Etsy community - I won New Years Glitz & Glam vote contest on Etsy!

And I decided to issue gift certificates for my etsy shop:

Felt United exhibition gallery is online!

Remember International day of felt and Felt United project? Well, finally its gallery is online and you can look at the photos of felt events all over the world here.

Felt United

So it finally happened. First International day of Felt and Felt United project has been completed! Funny, I don't feel like telling a lot about this event. Not because there was something wrong, vice versa - there were so many good, warm things, many mystic signs, lot's of kind hearted conversations, good impressions, feelings, consciousness, insights, lessons to learn and ideas for the future that it feels I just want to keep it inside my heart for a while, hiding and cherishing that little sparkle that makes me feel warm inside...

Yet I will say that the felted Sun we made brightened all the grey sky in there... and I will share lot's of photos of that day.

Photos by Victor Morozov
Photos by Vaida Petreikiene
Photos by Armidas Pronosovas
Photos by Kestutis Migonis
and some of my photos

And the article in Lithunian news site Delfi

e c c o * e c o. Featured by Abigail Doan

Recently I made a contact with very special environmental artist and writer Abigail Doan, the editor of e c c o * e c o. As she states on her profile: "I am a writer, editor, and environmental artist residing in NYC, Sofia, and rural Italy. My eco-textile and art farming projects are a means to create sustainable solutions and key visual links to the global challenges we collectively face. I am also a mother of twins." 

Conflux 2008/'Urban Fiber Flotsam' 9/13.08 (photography by Meiling Chen)

Abigail caught my view with her sensual, fragile, tactile fibre art installations and projects that merge with the surrounding space and become a natural continuation of the nature. Abigail entangles her ideas of "environmental tinkering and sustainable practice" into her projects.

She is also the editor of the blog e c c o * e c o that covers original and organic designs, fashion and art. So I was definetly honoured to have my work featured on Abigail's blog:

"Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Vilte's Lithuanian Felt Magic

I am so thrilled to have recently made contact with Vilte Kazlauskaite, a super talented eco fashion-forward felter from Lithuania. Her one-of-a-kind felted wool, silk, flax and other natural material creations are totally handmade and part of a long tradition of fiber art in her exotic homeland.

Vilte states, "I started my journey into magical world of felt about three years ago. I was a psychologist and dance therapist before then. Felting became an important part of my life. I got so into it that I also published a book, Veltinis ("Felt") about the unique felting technique in Lithuania, the first book of its kind covering this form of textile art."

I love the spirit of Vilte's designs and the sustainable alchemy that she so effortlessly conjures. Her entire collection is an inspiring example of the future of contemporary fashion being rooted in indigenous methods and earth friendly goodness.






* above images courtesy of Vilte Kazlauskaite
* visit Vilte's blog and 'felt magic' etsy shop

Posted by Abigail Doan at 11:23 PM "

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Abigail Doan – į aplinką orientuota tekstilininkė-menininkė, rašytoja ir etiškos ir ekologiškos mados dienoraščio ecco*eco redaktorė, gyvenanti New York’e, Sofijoje ir Italijoje.

Abigail instaliacijos – itin jautrios, trapios, taktiliškos, įsiliejančios į aplinką ir ją pratęsiančios.

Labai vertinu tai, jog tokie kūrybiški žmonės kaip Abigail pristato mano darbus savo dienoraštyje. Ačiū, Abigail!

Wild Angels on Haute Nature

Haute Nature - blog, covering ecologically based creative ideas, art & green products for your children, home and lifestyle...an eco guide blending high style with sustainability, has featured my felted bracelet - Where the Wild Angels Live.

Thank you! And I am honoured!