Héléna Guy Lhomme invites you to rediscover carded and felted wool as a medium for artisanal and artistic creation, and to explore the trompe-l’œil techniques at the heart of her practice to transform this noble material into unique works of art. This immersive 5-day workshop combines hands-on techniques with theoretical knowledge to enrich your creative palette and unleash your imagination.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Select raw wool from local sources to enhance its value through upcycling
• Identify the origin of the wool and distinguish between different fibers to adapt them to a creative project
• Master the essential techniques of needle felting
• Experiment with the use of wool in the creation of a large-scale collaborative piece
• Apply the skills acquired during the training to a personal creative, craft, or artistic project

Today, wool is regaining its central place, driven by the French industry and a growing awareness of the waste associated with this precious material. A multisensory material and the product of human and animal labor, it offers tremendous potential for reconnecting with the real world—a rare experience in the age of digital technology and artificial intelligence.

Héléna Guy Lhomme offers a unique five-day workshop, the result of several years of artistic and personal development. Combining practical skills with theoretical knowledge, this workshop enables participants to become self-sufficient and integrate wool into their own creative palette.

Participants discover the joy of transforming raw wool into unique works and leave with the tools to continue creating, experimenting, and enriching their artistic or craft projects long after this week is over.

Schedule

Day 1

Morning

• Sorting fleeces and cleaning out impurities

Afternoon

• Washing and drying the harvested wool

Day 2

Morning

• Theoretical instruction (origins, varieties, and wool processing methods)

Afternoon

• Demonstration of carding and learning the techniques of needle felting

Day 3

Morning

• Assembly of the framework for monumental sculptures

Afternoon

• Covering the structures with wool and shaping

Day 4

Morning

• Creating the surface trompe l’œil

Afternoon

• Continuing to explore the trompe l’œil effect

Day 5

Morning

• Assembly and finishing of the sculptures

Afternoon

• Debrief and presentation of the work
• Tidying up the workshop

Héléna Guy Lhomme

Trained in art history at the École du Louvre, Héléna Guy Lhomme initially defined herself through painting and ceramic sculpture, before discovering a material that many consider unconventional: wool. It was in Moscow, working alongside Slavic artists and artisans within the underground art scene, that she began to work with it. Upon returning to France, she completed her studies at ENSAPC in Cergy with a DNSEP degree.

When the pandemic isolated her from the outside world, carded wool emerged as a cathartic outlet. A living, eco-friendly material—the result of human and animal labor—it became the tangible link that still connects her to the world. This fluid medium—evoking femininity and the hearth, ultra-plastic and pictorial—which she transforms through tens of thousands of needle stitches, grants her renewed creative power.

In a daily life reduced to repetitive rituals, the theme of meals and food becomes central to her work, exploring our place within the living world and the power of cultural legacies.

In 2023, the Mobilier National invited her to participate in the second edition of the exhibition *Les Aliénés*, presented at the Château de Biron in the Dordogne. The DRAC Île-de-France supported her one-year corporate residency at Capgemini, and in 2024, the JAD collective selected her for a residency with BilbaoArte, the results of which will be presented in Venice in the fall of 2026. Her work is also exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the PAD with the Maison Parisienne gallery, and it is included in public and private collections.

• Classroom, multipurpose room, workshops with professional equipment
• Supply of materials
• Individual and collaborative work
• Workshop-based learning
• Active participation and hands-on experimentation by participants are encouraged

• Group and personalized progress tracking, regular updates
• Self-assessment of technical skills
• Group presentation
• Attendance sheet by half-day
• Certificate of completion issued by Campus MaNa