Tylar Merrill: About the Artist

Tylar Merrill I am a fiber artist based in Eugene Oregon, my work ranges from traditional fine arts, mask making to innovative performance art.  After working many years professionally in the arts and owning two arts related businesses in Canada, in 2000 these enterprises evolved into Thimbleberry Felt Designs.



Tylar Merrill I discovered felting in 1984 apprenticing with fiber artist Charlotte Charters and have become entranced by this rich and ancient textile.  Learning the process of felting was a very natural and perhaps inevitable transition for my art.   I have always loved color and fiber.  Mixing colored fibers with abstract hand strokes bring together these loves in exciting and satisfying ways.  Felting has given me the opportunity to combine and explore color, texturing, 3-dimensional form, folk art and costume design.  My inspiration often comes from the magical world, nature, and from experiences in my own life.





Tylar Merrill My approach to felt making is intuitive, being open to the unexpected results of the medium and following this process of discovery to new applications.  Conceptually,  I see my felted art work as playing with dichotomy: painting and sculpture, wet and dry, feltable and non-feltable, ancient and new, and striking interesting chords between these opposite principles.