From wearable art to sound-absorbing wall hangings, exploring the textures and properties of wool and what it can shape into has become Chantal Cardinal's full time obsession under FELT à la main with LOVE. After a career as a Fashion Designer and Costumer in the film industry, she was introduced to wet felting techniques where she discovered the endless possibilities of painting with fibres and falling in love with nature's renewable gift. This opened her up to the breathtaking ways in which material could be molded and shaped to create endless possibilities of artifacts out of wool. An important part of her artistic practice is using local wool and processing it herself from a raw sheep's fleece that she gets to know by name. Chantal loves to share her love of wet felting with workshops at community events, online, on location like at VanDusen Gardens or at her studio. She has exhibited in BC, the USA, as well as in the UK, and was awarded a Vancity public art commission for the Surrey City Center Branch and an AIC grant (Artist in Classroom) where she engaged 200+ kids K-7, over a six month period, in creating Living Walls:From Farm to Felt connecting the kids to where the medium comes from by processing a raw sheep's fleece and turning it into art.

In the past year, Chantal participated in a cultural exchange with Taiwan, where she had the opportunity to meet and exchange with renowned Taiwanese fiber artisans. She was also invited to showcase her felting expertise at TED Talks, leading an interactive community garden installation that engaged attendees throughout the week-long event. Additionally, Chantal was awarded a prestigious public art commission, producing her largest work to date: Come Together: The Power of Connections, a 300 sqft permanent window installation for the ACT Arts Centre’s 20th anniversary in Maple Ridge, BC.