Think sugar coated bundles of detail and slight oddness combined to make unpainted paintings that are arresting and uncanny.
I'm Dawn Waters and I paint with fiber. In 2014, a friend taught me the basics of wet felting and I began making wearables. Soon after, I was introduced to the felting needle. I wondered if I could make a fiber portrait with one of these barbed needles. I had never seen a fiber painting, and had not created a portrait in any medium. Needle felting is relatively new, unlike wet felting - it’s like tattooing, but with wool. I kept at it, and finally the likenesses were recognizable and the intended emotions emerged.
I often include an unexpected element like James Brown’s face as Edvard Munch’s The Scream; my political slant, as in Ruth Bader Ginsburg as Wonder Woman; or a poignant subject, such as the iconic National Geographic Afghan Girl. I used to communicate as a writer, but now I do this through these paintings, making statements or eliciting emotions, whether it’s evoking comments about a political statement, a discussion or mere reflection from an emotive piece, or simply a good laugh. When I started creating these paintings, I made famous faces, but am progressing into a more emotionally-focused direction and creating pieces that combine methods and materials. Much of my work incorporates 3-D wet felted objects such as flowers, a nod to where I began.
I relish the challenge of bringing a subject to life through fiber and creating work that begs to be touched. I have recently begun painting with paint and mixed media and it’s clear that each medium is informing the other, and I see the possibilities are endless.
Please contact me for prices, commissions, general or exhibition inquiries, or to be included on email list. dawnwatersart@gmail.com 804.837.3296
For prints, canvas prints, tote bags, pillows & other products that feature my art, click CV is here.

 Artist With Distracting Mustache. Dali is all needle felted, mounted on fabric. Members' Show, Florida CraftArt, St. Pete, FL |  Wool is wrapped around wire to produce a bendable mustache. |
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 Well, I Just Love Everybody. Dolly Parton, with wet-felted floral crown. SOLD. |  That's me holding the beautiful David Bowie so you can see the scale of this one. |
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 All fiber, no paint. David Bowie, with his incredible eyes. Original photo by Brian Aris. |  She's huge. My felted Frida Kahlo features felted flowers and a shawl, and real earrings! First place, currently at Members' Show, Florida CraftArt, St. Pete, FL |
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 A very large needle-felted portrait of the amazing artist, Frida Kahlo. |  Is she sad? Pensive? Hard to say. But she's got some mighty blue eyes. |
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 Madam Freaking Vice President. Kamala Harris. At Brenda McMahon Gallery, Gulfport, FL |  Waiting for the new normal. Felted portrait on fabric background. |
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 Neil Young has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Here's how he looked then & how he looks now. All fiber. |  He peacefully knelt to bring awareness to police brutality. He risked everything. Colin Kaepernick. An inspiration. |
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 Willie Nelson, felted with wool and there's hemp in those braids. 18"w x 24"h |  An experiment with color on a made up face. |
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 Two Songbirds - John Prine & Muse. 22"w x 23"h. Auctioned to benefit COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. |  Stephen Loves Me. Needle-felted with wet-felted rose, that he's obviously giving to me.
21" x 21". |
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 From beginning to end. |  My fiber reproduction of the iconic National Geographic cover...The Afghan Girl. Original photo: Steve McCurry, 1984. Cover, 1985. 15" x 15". SOLD. |
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 Friend Goals. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler on fabric background with tee-shirts. 40"w x 32"h |  Keith Richards with his favorite flowers. 21" x 21". SOLD. |
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 American Gossip - A Rumor is Born. Gaga & Cooper in Grant Wood's American Gothic.
18"w x 21"h |  Ingrid Bergman from Casablanca. My first black & white portrait. 15" x 15" |
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 The real them.
The felted them. |  Portrait of an adorable bridal couple. |
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 Wonder Justice! Notorious RBG as Wonder Woman. 15" x 16". SOLD. |  The James Brown Scream
17"w x 22"h |
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 Felted portrait of a friend and her beloved Puffy. |  Needle-felted wool on cotton with hand-stitched silk. 15"x15". At Brenda McMahon Gallery, Gulfport FL. SOLD. |
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 My fiber interpretation of Steve McCurry's powerful photograph. 20"w x 30"h |  Felted on left, photo on right. |
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 Marina Has No Mailing Address. She's smaller than the other flower ladies but she still packs a punch. 15" x 15" |  Olga Was Never a Wallflower. Silken braids and a headdress of wet-felted flowers. 22"w x 30"h. She graced the cover of the Summer 2019 Fiber Art Now magazine. SOLD |
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 My first reproduction. David Hockney's version sold for $90 million. 23"w x 17"h |  Olive is Not Amused. Wet-felted flowers adorn the head of this needle-felted beauty. 23"w x 30"h. SOLD |
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 Laurel Laments Nothing. 15"x15". |  Cash 'n kitty. The man in black and his friend. 21" x 21". |
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 My first truly mixed media piece. Beyonce with bling. 20"w x 30"h. |  Split screen. Beyonce photo on left. |
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 Vivica Rarely Has to Ask Twice. Felted on cotton fabric. 15" x 15". |  The beautiful Elizabeth Taylor dons a broken heart. 25"w x 31"h. |
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 Word is that Barron gave her the shirt for her birthday. Portrait in fiber on fabric. 15" x 15". SOLD. |  Natasha, Not Frida. Felted & hand-stitched on metallic fabric 22" x 30". SOLD. |
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 Florence Wasn't Sold on the Whole Salon Thing. All needle-felted. 17.5"w x 21"h. |  My first commissioned portrait. Given as a wedding gift. SOLD. |
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 These Shells Would Look Good in the Bathroom. 21"w x 17.5"h. |  Obama wears Notorious RBG. 23.5"w x 31.5" h. |
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 I love Lucy. And I love working on curly haired people. SOLD |  Can you see this face without saying, "more cowbell!?" 17.5"w x 21"h. SOLD. |
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 Powerhouse voice Cat Power. |  I don't know who she is. But I dig her. Those chin whiskers are my favorite part. |
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 Dominica is adorned with a leafy crown. |  Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. I'm felted. SOLD. |
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 The Princess Bride characters. Inconceivable! |  Badass woman with kickin' fro. |
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 Wonder Michelle! SOLD. |  HGTV's The Property Brothers in wool. |
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 Bill Murray made of fiber. SOLD |  Benicio del Toro is one ominous looking dude |
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 The beautiful and hilarious Maya Rudolph. Felted. 21"w x 17.5 h. |  Felted on the left, photo on the right. |
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 Paul Newman felted portrait. Foxy much? |  Prince. Felted on the left. Photo on the right. SOLD. |
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 Frances McDormand as Marge from Fargo. Felted. |  Carrie Brownstein, woman of many talents. Now she has her face in wool! |
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 A work in progress. David Byrne of The Talking Heads. But you knew that. |  Chico Rodriguez Blevins Waters made of fiber. Not for sale. |
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