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 commission and exhibition inquiries. dawnwatersart@gmail.com 804.837.3296
For prints, canvas prints, tote bags, pillows & other products that feature my art, click CV is here.
FOR PRICES AND TO PURCHASE, VISIT MY EVENTENY PAGE HERE
This is the Famous Faces page. To view other fiber paintings, click 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. |
 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 |
 A very large needle-felted portrait of the amazing artist, Frida Kahlo. |  Madam Freaking Vice President. Kamala Harris. At Brenda McMahon Gallery, Gulfport, FL |
 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. |
 Willie Nelson, felted with wool and there's hemp in those braids. 18"w x 24"h |  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". |  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. |  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. |  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" |  Wonder Justice! Notorious RBG as Wonder Woman. 15" x 16". SOLD. |
 My fiber interpretation of Steve McCurry's powerful photograph. 20"w x 30"h |  Felted on left, photo on right. |
 The James Brown Scream 17"w x 22"h |  My first reproduction. David Hockney's version sold for $90 million. 23"w x 17"h |
 Cash 'n kitty. The man in black and his friend. 21" x 21". |  My first truly mixed media piece. Beyonce with bling. 20"w x 30"h. |
 Split screen. Beyonce photo on left. |  The beautiful Elizabeth Taylor dons a broken heart. 25"w x 31"h. |
 Word is that Barron gave her the shirt for her birthday. Portrait in fiber on fabric. 15" x 15". SOLD. |  Obama wears Notorious RBG. 23.5"w x 31.5" h. |
 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. |
 Powerhouse voice Cat Power. |  Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. I'm felted. SOLD. |
 The Princess Bride characters. Inconceivable! |  Wonder Michelle! SOLD. |
 Benicio del Toro is one ominous looking dude |  The beautiful and hilarious Maya Rudolph. Felted. 21"w x 17.5 h. |
 Felted on the left, photo on the right. |  Paul Newman felted portrait. Foxy much? |
 Prince. Felted on the left. Photo on the right. SOLD. |  Frances McDormand as Marge from Fargo. Felted. |
 Bill Murray made of fiber. SOLD |  Carrie Brownstein, woman of many talents. Now she has her face in wool! |
 HGTV's The Property Brothers in wool. |
This is the Famous Faces page. To view other fiber paintings, click here.