ARTFUL OBJECTS:
An Invitation to Creative Mastery and Transformation, with Ellen Bakker & Zsófia Marx
Are you ready to discover more colour, richer textures, and stunning sculptural forms?
Welcome to Artful Object—an online course designed to elevate your textile practice and open the door to a world of expressive possibilities. Explore the fascinating interplay of colour, texture, and shape as you create unique vessels from hand-painted silk and felt.
Fibre holds a thousand stories. Let it speak the one only you can tell.
What shape could carry your story? What surface could reflect your inner world? In Artful Objects, you’ll learn to paint silk that carries your unique artistic signature—vibrant, meaningful, and alive. You'll then incorporate it into a felted vessel, bowl or sculpture, that does more than “hold” the silk—it becomes its home. A form that carries your painting like a poem written on its body.
Experience The Magic
In this course, we’ll guide you through the quiet alchemy of fusing silk and felt, colour, texture and shape—but it’s not just about that. It’s about what you’ll feel, when your hands discover something they didn’t know they could do. This course is for curious, passionate makers, like you. For artists who are ready to move beyond craft and into creative expression.
Beyond Technique
Under our guidance, you’ll create sculptural vessels with elegant forms and rich, luminous surfaces. These are more than decorative objects—they glow with presence and transform the spaces around them. This kind of work takes more than skill. It takes vision. We’ll guide you not just in technique, but in shaping pieces imbued with story, emotion, and soul.
What you'll gain
Besides a deep understanding of how to fuse hand-painted silk and handmade felt into stunning sculptural vessels, you'll learn how to
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Master advanced silk painting techniques that keep your colours vibrant through the felting process, while learning to design with intention—so your painted silk enhances the form, scale, and surface of your vessels with depth and meaning.
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Master advanced shaping techniques to confidently sculpt bold, refined, and unexpected felted forms that expand your creative range.
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Discover the art of silk-felt fusion—learn how to pair colour, composition, and form so your silk designs feel born into the vessel, not placed on top.
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Build a cohesive body of work—develop a series of vessels that speak the same visual language, reflecting your unique voice with clarity and depth.
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A renewed sense of purpose and excitement in your textile work
Everything you'll have at your fingertips
We’ll guide you with thoughtfully crafted resources, designed to support self-paced learning and creative exploration.
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PDFs & Written Instructions
Downloadable and easy to follow, these step-by-step guides are your trusted reference throughout the creative process. Filled with clear explanations, photos, and drawings, they make even complex techniques—like felting and incorporating silk—easy to understand and apply with confidence.
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Pre-recorded Videos
These videos complement the written instructions and are available to watch anytime, at your own pace. They focus on the finer details of each step, offering visual clarity and deepening your understanding of the techniques as you create.
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Live Lessons
Watch the process unfold in real time, work alongside us, and get your questions answered. Recordings are added to the library so you can revisit them anytime.
Voices from our community
“As a felt artist and teacher, I’m always looking to expand my skills. The combination of Ellen’s beautiful silk painting and Zsofia’s sculptural felt techniques immediately appealed to me, and this masterclass did not disappoint. I had never painted on silk before, so that alone was a great learning experience. Add to that Zsofia’s detailed techniques for laying out wool and shaping sculptural felt—it was truly eye-opening. I’m so grateful to both Ellen and Zsofia for sharing their knowledge so generously and guiding participants with great care. The course is intensive and requires time, but it’s deeply rewar-ding. The Zoom sessions and Facebook group added valuable support. I now feel equipped and inspired to keep experimenting and developing my own felt work further.”
Natasha Smart
“The masterclass with Zsófia and Ellen was an amazing adventure in integrating silk painting with sculptural felt art! I loved the relaxed pace of the course—it allowed me to slow down and truly enjoy every step of the process. With each new sculptural felt design, I felt my skills growing, one building upon the next. The helpful feedback, detailed PDFs, and videos made it a rich and inspiring experience. I’m so grateful for all the thought and care they put into making this class so rewarding!”
Amy Chase
“If you get the opportunity to take this Masterclass with Ellen and Zsófia, grab it with both hands! The course is well structured, clear, and precise. Both Ellen and Zsófia are masters of their craft and combine their extensive knowledge to enable us to create beautiful sculptural felt pieces. I have been reinvigorated by this and am constantly surprised by the transformation of the silk combining with the wool. I would not have discovered this on my own. My mind is full of ideas inspired by Ellen, Zsófia, and my classmates. I am looking forward to experimenting further and staying in touch with the group via Facebook. Thank you for making this possible.”
Gillian Hewitt
“Even though I had no prior experience with felt sculptures, I can truly say that this course has taught me so much about silk painting and sculptural felt crafting. The combination of written materials, videos, and live sessions was very effective and complete. Ellen and Zsófia are very knowledgeable and generous teachers—always helpful, approachable, and quick to respond. The quality of the course, combined with their expert guidance, creates the perfect environment to learn at your own pace, free from stress. Their passion is truly inspiring, and I am so grateful to have met them!”
Alessandra Sambugaro
“This masterclass has greatly complemented my basic knowledge of silk painting and introduced me to sculptural felt art. I learned how to create beautiful patterns using simple silk painting techniques. Merging my own silk creations into sculptural felt is very satisfying. The instructions and consultations for the different felt patterns are clear and detailed. I truly enjoyed the entire process and the supportive community of this masterclass.”
Diana M. Neal
“Thank you so much for offering the class in such an accessible way. I had already decided I was ready to learn from Zsófia after seeing the results of the first masterclass. I did not expect to love silk painting as much as I love felting. Now I can’t wait to do both every chance I get. Each project brought new challenges and inspired new ideas. I will be using the skills I learned in this class to create not only new sculptural felt pieces but all kinds of other projects. I am so happy I chose to take this class.”
Helen Russell
“I have always loved working with textiles, and with this course, I learned how to create my own sculptural felt art. The combination of handpainted silk with wool is amazing. They are elegant and beautiful. I really love what I have made so far. Thanks to Ellen and Zsófia—they are great teachers who always help you with any challenges you face. It was really nice to meet fellow creators from all over the world. It’s so interesting to see what everyone makes from the same starting point. The end results are all unique, beautiful pieces. I’m so glad I took this course..”
Ida Willemsen
Meet Your Tutors
Ellen Bakker
[email protected]
Ellen is a textile artist, graphic designer and silk painter whose expressive, vibrant patterns have become a signature across the fibre art world. She is passionate about the power of colour, rhythm, and surface design—and how they can be harnessed to create truly moving work.
Zsófia Marx
[email protected]
Zsófia is a felt artist and educator known for her sculptural forms, refined technique, and poetic use of fibre. With over 25 years of experience, she brings a deep understanding of felt’s expressive potential—and a rare ability to guide others into discovering their own artistic voice.