Sedona Arts Center Artist

Laurie Cameron

There is just something about starting with the most basic of supplies–wool and a special needle–and transforming it into lifelike sculptures. Each time I begin to needle felt something–a Mexican gray wolf, a bactrian camel (the one with two humps), a javelina (those pesky little peccaries that wander across our yard)–it slowly comes to life. I grab a piece of wooI that has been dyed to match the color of the animal and get a thrill out of its softness. Often I find a small piece of grass that escaped the carding process, reminding me that this material came from a farmer’s field perhaps in North Dakota. I have to leave the eyes for last because that’s when I fall in love with the little critters.

About the artist

Biography

Laurie Cameron
www.TravellersThreads.com

An itinerate nomad recently retired in Sedona, Arizona, Laurie creates needle felted art and sculptures under the trade name Traveller’s Threads. For more than twenty years, she was an avid crafter and quilter, finding inspiration traveling and living throughout many parts of Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia. In 2022, she discovered the art of needle felting with wool. A medium requiring this natural, mostly unprocessed material opened up a world of three-dimensional creativity. She brings to life exquisite sculptures of realistic animals, birds, and whimsical characters.

Needle felting art involves sculpting shapes and figures using wool that has been cleaned and dyed together with using special felting needles. It’s a simple yet versatile technique that allows the artist to create amazing creations with just a few supplies. Laurie’s themes for needle felting include animals and birds, both domestic and African, holiday figurines and decorations, whimsical characters.

Laurie is also an author of mystery/suspense novels.

She is a self-taught, learning the art of needle felting through online tutorials and books, and the art of writing through a variety of online courses.

Countries where she was a resident expat include Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Guatemala. She chose the handle “Traveller’s Threads” for its double meaning: the threads in fiber art whether it’s quilting or needle felting and the threads in storytelling, a plot or storyline.

Venues/Events
Laurie began marketing her work at local art and craft fairs in and around Sedona. Venues included
• Verde Valley Fiber Artisan Spring and Fall Sales,
• Flag Wool and Fiber Festival,
• Sedona Art Festival (juried),
• Sedona Art Center’s Holiday Artist Market. (juried).

She is an active member of the Verde Valley Fiber Artisan Guild. She served as committee chair for the promotion of the Verde Valley Fiber Artisan sale in their efforts to their broaden visibility.

Galleries and Shops
• The Gallery in Williams
• Sedona Heritage Museum

Commissions
• Tufts and Bryn Mawr Mascots–Elephant and Owl
• Nativity sets
• Pet dog

Speaking Engagement
Presentation of the silk weavers of Thailand to the Fiber Artisan Guild

Contact info
30 Notch Drive
Sedona Az 86336
cell: 928-274-5410
laucam57@gmail.com

Available work