About / Contact

 Artist Statement

I create realistic 2D fiber art that honors the quiet beauty of the natural world. Using wool as my primary medium, I Needle Felt intricate portraits of animals, immersive landscapes, and underwater scenes inspired by nature's endless variety.

My creative process requires patience and precision. I use a single barbed needle to repeatedly sculpt raw wool fibers, blending colors and building textures just as a painter uses oil. This slow, rhythmic method allows me to capture the fine details of a creature's fur or the soft transition of a sunset. The organic texture of the wool adds a unique warmth and depth, bridging the gap between the tactile world and visual reality.

Ultimately, my goal is to provide a moment of stillness in a fast-paced world. By translating the beauty of living things into soft, realistic fiber art, I invite viewers to pause. I want my audience to experience the same sense of peace and wonder that I feel while observing the natural world and crafting each piece.

Artist Bio

Mary is a fiber artist whose practice spans over two decades of experimentation with color, craft, and textile design. Beginning in 1997, she spent twenty years designing and hand-dyeing wearable silk and Tencel garments which she then sold at art fairs across the United States. This work then evolved into an exploration of wool fibers, prompting a shift from traditional sewing to felting techniques.

By combining needle, wet, and nuno felting, Mary manipulates raw fibers to build custom textiles, ranging from delicate, lightweight shawls to structured winter outerwear. In 2025, her practice pivoted toward two-dimensional fine art, using needle-felting to translate texture and depth onto flat surfaces. Today, Mary focuses primarily on creating intricate 2D needle-felted artworks, merging decades of garment-making expertise with a fresh, contemporary approach to fine art textiles.

CONTACT INFO:

Email: maryshemeta@gmail.com

GALLERY/STORE INFO:

Swiftwater Gallery

Vashon Island, WA