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ThatPainter
artist profile

Maker Spotlight: Cristiana Felgueiras of GET HANDS DIRTY

Cristiana Felgueiras brings woodworking into a wider art practice through GET HANDS DIRTY, sharing functional builds, experimental projects and the learning process behind them.

By ThatPainter Team 3 min read
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Cristiana Felgueiras is a Porto-based artist and maker whose GET HANDS DIRTY channel brings woodworking into a broader practice spanning objects, installations, video and other materials. She began the project in 2015 to share her building experiences and encourage others to make. Her work is less a story of leaving fine art for carpentry than of carrying an idea-led, experimental approach into functional builds.

How Cristiana Felgueiras found woodworking

Felgueiras studied Fine Arts at the University of Porto. During her final year, she looked online for instructions on making a wood joint and became absorbed by woodworking techniques and tools. The search opened a new material and set of skills within an existing art practice, rather than replacing it. Her official biography traces GET HANDS DIRTY to 2015, when she began sharing her builds to encourage other people to make.

In a 2016 Make: interview, Felgueiras described working with paper, plaster, ceramics, wood, video, three-dimensional objects and installations. She said the idea or concept often comes first, with materials chosen to suit it. That perspective helps explain why her projects can move from a practical cabinet to a more experimental artwork without treating those as separate identities. Read the 2016 maker spotlight.

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Newtay 12 Pcs Pottery Tools Wood Rolling Pin Special Linen (Tablecloth)
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  • Easy Handling and Compact Design: the pottery supplies are compact and easy handling; Plus, the compact size is ideal for small workshops or art classrooms; Please note: This tablecloth is suitable for small polymer clay projects and is moderately thick, not suitable for heavier or large pottery projects. For large amounts of clay, a thicker cloth is recommended to avoid clay particles from showing through
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What does her work look like?

The official project archive ranges across functional workshop and home projects as well as creative builds. Examples include a shop apron, a two-in-one tool cabinet, workshop organization, built-in cabinets, furniture, kitchen boards and an old-kitchen renovation. Other entries include an exhibition made with a desktop laser, a desk setup, a 3D-printing project and lighting. The archive includes dated projects through 2026.

That range is useful context for readers who encounter GET HANDS DIRTY through a single woodworking video: the channel sits within a broader practice of making objects and documenting creative processes. The archive establishes the variety of projects, but does not rank one kind of work as more important to Felgueiras than another.

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Making as a way to learn

In the 2016 Make: spotlight, Felgueiras described making as a place to learn through trial and error. She put it this way: “The act of creation, to me, is a self-teaching environment where I can rehearse (in some kind of trial and error context) and transpose to reality all the things I want to make.” The quote reflects her account at that time, not a claim that every project follows the same method.

She also spoke of preferring distinct projects conceived individually rather than repeating production. In that framing, the build is not only about arriving at a usable object; it is also a way to test an idea and learn by doing.

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Rank #3
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Why video is part of the work

In a 2020 Make: interview, Felgueiras described video as the record of a process and as an artistic object in its own right. She said: “The video becomes the final object and it is way bigger than the physical object itself, which no one can see in real or touch.” The interview recounts her move from fine arts toward more functional projects and her decision to document builds. These are reflections she shared in that interview, rather than a current statement about every project. Read the 2020 interview.

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Where to find her projects and support her work

GET HANDS DIRTY’s official site links to the project archive and describes Patreon as a way to support Felgueiras and access behind-the-scenes material, extended rough-cut videos, monthly Q&As, polls, giveaways and community chat. Membership offerings can change, so check the site for current details. The site also invites collaboration inquiries across categories including woodworking, metalworking, lighting, audio, photography, filming gear, music, and website or e-commerce. That invitation does not by itself establish current partners or an affiliate program.

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A 2020 Make: profile reported 575,000 subscribers and 33,758,359 channel views at the time it was published. Those are historical figures, not current channel metrics; no newer audience count is established by the cited official pages.

Quick Recap

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You will receive 4 different diameter hole cutters, to meet different punching needs.; The position of the carving is stainless steel and the handle is made of smooth wood.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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