Connections | Online Exhibition 2025

Country: United States

Instagram: jeannel.d.osnas

Artwork One

Title: Sockeye

Materials and Techniques: wet felting: wool, viscose, silk

Inspiration: These two large (1.7 and 1.8 meters long) wet felted salmon, and three pieces of seaweed, were constructed during my two-week residency as the guest artist at O’Malley Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. Each fish and seaweed frond incorporates many hundreds of small pieces cut from felt made by students. More than 200 students in grades kindergarten through Grade 3 each made a piece of felt, some of which was added to the salmon and seaweed. The small pieces of felt were laid out on top of black merino wool prefelt and were felted together using wet felting techniques. The salmon and seaweed will be on permanent display at the school. This project connected children to the art of felting and to each other and their school through making a project that combined art from all student. Salmon are integral to life in Alaska, so this project uses art to connect students and others at the school to the natural world in our region.