Heartfelt 2025
ANDREA HUNTER
From Saturday 24th May to Sunday 6th July 2025, the Old School Art Gallery in Muker will be hosting Heartfelt 2025, celebrating 25 years of felt artistry by Andrea Hunter.
Rather than work in oils or watercolours, Andrea “paints” with wool, positioning and layering the fibres to build up the picture, before applying the felting process. As the wool is rolled and the fibres knit together, some secret alchemy occurs, infusing the picture with Andrea’s heartfelt, deep-rooted awareness and passion for the land and the Dales way of life.
The results, when the felt is unrolled and the picture revealed, are wonderfully evocative, atmospheric impressions of the Dales landscape, with an inner quality, subtlety, texture and impression of movement that perfectly conjure up the wild and rugged reality of Wensleydale and Swaledale.
Heartfelt 2025 will showcase Andrea’s original feltworks, both in monochrome and colour, specially created for the exhibition.
“We feel thrilled and privileged to host this exhibition. Andrea is undoubtedly one of the country’s leading felt artists and what makes it even more special for us is to be able to showcase the work of someone born, raised and lives, just a short journey over the hill from the gallery. Andrea’s work is absolutely unique and could only be produced by someone so deeply connected to the place and the people of the Dales”.
Richard
Exhibition Preview
For more information contact Richard at the Old School Art Gallery, Muker
About Andrea
Andrea Hunter was born and raised at the family farm in the village of Hardraw (famed for its 100 foot, single drop waterfall) in Wensleydale. Growing up, exploring the meadows, pastures and moorland that surrounded her home, Andrea developed an instinctive feel for the Dales landscape, its sights, sounds, smells, movement and energy. Rooted to the land, Hardraw remains her home, the centre of family life, and where she has her studio.
After leaving school, Andrea began an art foundation course at York Technical College, with the intention of becoming a graphic designer, but soon realised her passion was textiles. Moving to Leeds University she took a degree course in the subject, graduating in 1987.
Returning to Hardraw, Andrea initially worked in pastels and charcoals before deciding to explore felt as an artistic medium. Though experimentation, she developed new ways of working, layering and “painting” with the wool, applying the fibres as others would apply paints or pastels. In the process Andrea discovered how felt’s tactile quality lent itself to the representing the dales landscape she knew and loved.
For the past twenty-five years Andrea has been producing her unique felt artworks at her studio, Focus on Felt, in Hardraw, written two books and built a reputation as one of the UK’s best felt artists. She has made TV appearances on Home is where the Art Is, Our Great Yorkshire Life and Pennine Adventure with Helen Skelton & Dan Walker, and on the local news programme Calendar.