Love, Me: Tell us about your “art” story. You and I have talked a bit about this academic division between being an artist and “crafting”. Was this something you struggled with (as a fine art
painter) or did you just create felted goods b/c you needed to do that as well?
Heartfelt: I studied fine arts in Saskatoon, SK and later in Regina. It was in the late 70’s that I attended the UofR and had the privilege of having Ted Goodwin as my painting professor.
In the 80’s and 90’s, my friend and I made a successful line of jewellery. We had commercial success with large companies such as Disney World, Nygard, and Trump Towers in New York. We were quickly introduced to production on a large scale, marketing, international shipping, etc. It was great for finances, but after 10 years, it was a complete creative drain.
Fine art and crafting were always in conflict with me. However, as I became older I no longer cared about judgements of “art” or “craft”. This generation of young people has brought craft back into vogue. Handmade again is very marketable especially with most products now being manufactured off-shore.
LM: Tell me a bit about your love affair with felt? What draws you to this medium?
H: My academic schooling was in painting but there were (are) so many mediums to explore. I started felting 2 years ago. The colours, textures, and smell made me curious. I am still learning how to work with it. I thought it would be a very short, temporary interest..But I am still playing with it.
LM: What gets your creative mojo going? Do you have any “needs” to create?
H: The element of surprise; when you look at something that seems so common and realize that it is not. Also curiosity.
LM: What drains your creativity?
H: Taking myself too seriously.
LM: Your work seems to have definite themes – this idea of party and whimsy and fantasy. Where does your creating begin? Do you have the idea (dogs in party hats) in your head or do you just have at it and see what happens?
H: Once I became a parent, my ideas, my art & craft translated into fun, playful ones. Now my two daughters have grown up and I haven’t left the play zone. It is a happy place to work.
LM: Let’s talk colour. Your work is really colourful. What is it about colour that you love?
H: Ahh colour!!! I can not express to you in words why I love colour so much. It is everywhere: our food, textiles, nature, music, emotions. For example, when I first met you, I saw a lovely rusty red with an amazing purple glow. (Ed’s note: Ahhhh)
LM: Where is your studio?
H: My studio is a room in my home. It is organized clutter.
LM: 3 small pleasures??
H: Staring at my favorite works – my two daughters, watching Chris build, staring at my Golden Retriever’s kind face
LM: A non creating day is spent…??
H: Preparing and enjoying a family meal; enjoying the company of my two dearest friends and laughing; decorating my simple home; Reading
LM: Sweet or savory??
H: Sweet
LM: Parting words…
H: Life is like a blank canvas. Just go for it and fill it with lots of colour.
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Artist: Jenna Rose
Location: Hamilton, ON
Love, Me: What is the background to Jenna Rose, the fashion/home accessories label? What did you do before this?
Jenna Rose: I started jenna rose as soon as I graduated from NSCAD in 2006. In my last year there I was making objects that became part of my line, such as belts, buckets, and hats. When I graduated I moved back to Ontario and set up my studio in Guelph. The work I had been making came together as a fashion and home collection which has developed and expanded over the past three years.
LM: What drew you to this medium?
JR: I started sewing at a young age- my mom is a sewer, my grandmother is a sewer- so naturally I am one too. Screen printing is the perfect medium for me to be able to combine my love for both drawing and textiles.
LM: Where is your studio located? What is the handmade/small-run scene like where you are?
JR: My studio is located in Hamilton, Ontario. I moved here less than a year ago and I love it. It’s is in a building with other artists, designers, and recording studios. It’s really a dream space for me. It’s big and bright, and it’s also dog friendly! So my dog Beau walks with me to work every day. It’s located in the James Street North neighbourhood where lots of artists have studio spaces and there are a number of small galleries. The second Friday evening of every month I open my studio for the James North art crawl- all the galleries have their openings and the studios open their doors to the public for the evening.
LM: What gets your creative mojo going?
JR: Lately I have felt most creative just sitting down with my sketch book and markers and drawing whatever is around me at the time. Most of my designs are based on environments and objects within my surroundings because it’s these things within my daily life that I find interesting to draw- partially because they are meaningful to me, but also because it means slowing down and really looking at your space and the objects within it.
LM: Best thing / Worst thing about working for yourself..
JR: Best thing would be that I am able to put my energy and time towards my own ideas and vision- this is a satisfying way to spend my days. Worst thing would have to be that it’s hard to get away from the work, but this is mostly because I do just about everything myself right down to the bookkeeping. Actually, I changed my mind, that’s probably the worst thing- bookkeeping!
LM: What is your career highlight so far?
JR: This past year as a whole has been the highlight. Last spring I reached a goal I had since before I even knew I would have this business- being a featured entrepreneur in House and Home Magazine. At that time I also opened my online store, and then in the summer I moved to Hamilton and couldn’t be happier with my home and studio here. I am so thankful for my new studio space and that I can spend my days creating here.
LM: 3 small pleasures?
JR: Late night dog walks. Prismacolor markers. Vanilla Lattes.
LM: A quirk that makes you you!
JR: I’m clumsy. I burn my hands on the oven and forearms on the iron. I walk into things daily and have broken both my baby toes, many times.
LM: What is in your CD/record/MP3 player?
JR: Cat Power, Sophie Madeleine, Ani Difranco..
LM: Who are you loving right now? (Designers, artists, chefs…) and what are loving about them?
JR: That`s a tough one- I feel like I fall in love everyday! Here are some off the top of my head:
Etsuko Furuya- She has a line of fabrics, Echino, that are so fun and well designed. Her aesthetic is lovely with bright colours printed on greyed natural linen/cotton.
Sophie Madeleine- Her music and voice are beautiful.
Ferm living- They design really fantastic wallpaper. I find the patterns a nice balance of formal and casual.
Velorbis- Well designed and made Dutch style bikes. I would love to own one of these, with a basket on the front.
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Artist: Angela Melanson of Lala and Gleen Productions
Location: Wolfville, Nova Scotia
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Lala and Gleen but I am very happy I did. They supply Love, Me with the recycled & embellished wooly tea cozies and french press cozies that fly out the door. Angela Melanson’s porfolio however is much wider than this home decor introduction. Her paintings and felted pictures, currently gracing the wall of Love, Me, are a further visual extenstion of her love for texture and colour. These artworks are so full of that light spirit needed in the sloppy days of March.
Love, Me: What path led you to today working as a fulltime artist?
Angela Melanson: I worked in the costume departments of various theatres for eleven years. The state of the theatre industry was going downhill, so I decided I would leave the theatre world to embark upon my own business. Naturally, all of my costuming skills easily applied to the creation of my own textile work.
L,M: You have two types of work – your artwork (paintings, felted paintings) and your home/fashion product line. How did that split happen? What came first? How do you manage both? Could you personally have one without the other?
AM: My homedecor/fashion line came first. It was fun for me to create smaller pieces and be able to test them out at farmers’ markets and small, independent boutiques. My needle felted pieces and paintings came later ~ mostly to satisfy my own need to expand and further my creative drive. I tend to get bored easily, so having lots of different things to work on, alleviates any feeling of stagnation. I love to hop around from product to product while creating and sometimes have a painting on the go at the same time that I am making tea cozies or handbags. I truly do LOVE that I have a wide variety of products and am always experimenting, hoping to discover the next item to add to my line. I think my art pieces are definitely a reflection of my homedecor/fashion line, in that the colours, stitched details and style of work compliment one another.
L,M: What I see as common threads in both types of work is both the tactile textile materials and the use of colour. What draws you to colour and textiles?
AM: Colour is what makes my world go round!!! I really like how colour can bring forth so many visions of places I’ve been, things found in nature, and graffiti in cities. Colour excites me….and tie this in with textiles and it’s hard for me to not create. I’ve always had a fascination with textiles ~ perhaps my upbringing. I like the versatility of fibre and that you can go from wearable to sculptural to framed art pieces ~ it’s amazing really.
L,M: Where is your studio? Tell us about it.
AM: My studio is in my home. I just moved it to another part of my house which has more room so I am still trying to get adjusted to light, new space, etc. I am in a temporary space as I hope to move it again in the near future. Moving my studio is another way for me to keep things fresh, changing,etc. I find that when I move a room around whether it’s furniture, art, my studio is that I look at that space differently and hope that it influences change in my work or my process. My space is pretty ulitarian at the moment and I am working towards making changes so that it reflects the style of work that I make.
L,M: What is a typical day?
AM: I usually have my day scheduled before I begin. I tend to start by creating some of the smaller items like cozies and handbags and treat this as a warm up of sorts. This is really what gets the ball rolling in my mind, as some of the stitching lines or motifs inspire ideas for paintings or needle felted pieces. Of course, part of my day is also about updating my online presence and filling orders. It’s a big juggling act really, but it’s great to be able to switch things up so easily.
L,M: When you are drained mentally and physically, what do you do to recharge?
AM: I soak in a hot tub with a glass of wine and stare at the stars, go for a walk in the woods and hoot at the owls or caw at the crows, listen to my neighbour singing opera while picking blueberries or admiring ladyslippers. I like simple things that are easy to access especially from my own front door.
L,M: What inspires you personally? Artistically? (or is it all the same?)
AM: I am inspired by bike rides in the Netherlands, owls hooting in the forest, graffiti in urban centres, food both locally and globally, my grandmother’s stories, and of course Gleen of Lala & Gleen. All of these contribute to a positive outlook on life and inspire me personally and artistically.
L,M: Whose work are you loving right now?
AM: I’m obsessed with Dutch and Scandinavian design. There are a number of different artists, but it’s a long list of architects, fibre artists, painters, and furniture designers. Intertwine these obsessions with a hint of Japanese culture…..and now I’m truly in love. J
L,M: Best and worst thing about working for yourself?
AM: I get to work in whatever crazy wardrobe I can come up with ~ my cat doesn’t seem to mind. The worst thing is when the mail is delivered to my door and I forget what I dressed myself in.
L,M: Background noise or quiet?
AM: Quiet. I live in the middle of a forest. It really is peaceful.
L,M: Cheese or Cheesecake?
AM: Cheese, most definitely.
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Artist: Susan Charles / Freehand Embellished Apparel
Location: Halifax, NS
Susan was one of the first non-family people I told about my pursuit to open Love, Me. She was the director of an organization I was working for (in the museum & heritage field). She and I often had tea breaks where we would share crafting stories, ideas, and dreams. When she first brought in a project she was working on, my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. She had embellished a woolen blazer with Irises. As soon as I got my shop off the ground, I begged Susan to sell her goods at the shop and soon after, we also jumped into the workshop arena. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I decided to highlight Susan in January for the obvious reason of wooly felty goodness being so appropriate in the thick of winter coldness (not to mention that her floral motifs remind us of the birth of new life in a Spring to come). But I also decided to highlight Susan this month for her work making some stunning accessories for a December winter bride. The images taken of these accessories – bouquets, boutonnieres, clutches, corsages, centerpieces – made me want to redo my summer wedding and have a cozy winter wedding full of thick woolen and bright satin Susan Charles originals. I have chosen to add some of those pictures to this interview.
Love, Me: Life is a crazy journey. What sorts of roads did you take to get you here to this life as a maker of felted wooly goods?
Susan Charles: My life’s road map has a few choice pit stops which have led me to this felter’s field. I’ve always been a “crafter”. Living in Halifax most of my life, I grew up attending craft fairs, appreciating the top quality work of our local artists. I dabbled in a wide variety of media as they came and went in vogue - crocheting, stained glass, beading, quilting … my family and friends received many Christmas, birthday and wedding gifts resulting from my passion for things handmade.
My mother taught me how to sew. I made lots of my own clothes and loved creating with textiles. Eventually I took Dalhousie’s Costume Studies course where I was totally immersed in clothing design, construction and fabrication – both historic and modern. I worked at a costume museum for several years which was very “hands-on”. I loved working daily with donated garments of all vintages, exploring how they were made and worn. The designs, decorations, fabrics and embellishments … these historic garments seemed to tell intimate stories of their owners. My job was to translate these stories and bring history to life for the museum’s visitors. I also did education programs and enjoyed sharing the wonders of costume with people of all ages.
Today, creating embellished felted apparel puts many of my past experience into play. I have been a hardcore promoter of Frenchy’s – retail therapy without the guilt – so it seemed natural to combine the latest needleworking technique with Frenchy’s finds to create something new and “green”. It’s like reinventing old garments – giving them a new story to tell.
LM: What is this technique that you do and what draws you to it?
SC: I needle felt, also called dry felting. I tend to use pre-dyed yarns and craft felt or recycled wool to decorate second hand garments. Using barbed felting needles I “punch” a design onto a base fabric. I combine both hand and machine felting along with machine stitching. Generally animal fibers needle felt best, but I have been experimenting with all sorts of wools which are synthetic and many of them work too.
I also like to transform recycled sweaters into bags and the left-over wool becomes pincushions, mug wraps or felted floral decorations. Every scrap seems to become something eventually. My challenge seems to be actually throwing anything out!!!
The appeal of felting for me is channeling the creative energy when you combine certain colors, texture and design into something uniquely “new”. When I’m “in the zone” I’m mixing and matching fabrics, threads and yarns from all over my workspace. I like turning discards into functional items of beauty.
More importantly creating wearable art is personally satisfying when I see someone light up because they love being wrapped in a colorfully expressive piece of clothing. When one of my felted garments makes someone smile, feel proud of themself because they look great, then the magic energy of the creative process has been transmitted to the wearer. I like to see what I do as a blissful process.
These are felted clutches for a bride and her attendant with gorgeous removable poinsettia pins
LM: I know you have other jobs including running a household. How do you make time for your crafting and when you have other things on the go, how to you get there – to the place where you want to create – quickly or within slots of time?
SC: This is my daily challenge, not unique, I know - to keep the call of the domestic at bay. Dirty dishes, laundry, kids to be chauffered, meals to be made, groceries … seeing my craft as a “real job” is my current personal struggle for balance.
I get the most work done when I ignore the kitchen and ferret myself away into the basement room my husband helped me organize as my “studio”. Lights, music, space for equipment and sorted piles of materials – once I am down there I limit contact with the outside world other than to refill my thermos with hot tea. I stay away from the computer – rule #1 – it’s like a black hole for me, eating precious production hours from my day. And, rule #2, let the answering machine do its job!!
I’ve also tried to learn about my own daily energy patterns so that I can tap into them better. Unfortunately I usually get a burst of inspiration just about 4pm when dinner prep. is calling and I have 1 hour before kid pick-ups … fortunately my family loves frozen lasagna and salad now comes in bags pre-tossed!!
LM: What turns your creativity on?
SC: As with all artists who create, getting into that “zone” can be an illusive process. I try to set goals and deadlines of production for myself. Many times however, it is the inspiration of a newly found oh-so-soft sweater which just screams out to become reinvented as a funky felted shoulder bag. Or I happen upon a fabulously colored yarn begging to embellish one of my stash of secondhand sweaters. I guess I just “talk to my textiles” and they offer all the inspiration I can handle.
Above: Corsages for a winter wedding; Below: Boutonnieres
LM: Do you have a creative space? Is that necessary and/or feasible?
SC: Yes, I have found that I do need a space dedicated to felting. Mostly because I need to find all my stuff easily and equally because it has the habit of spreading out and taking over my entire house given half the chance. I guess I also need a sort of organized chaos to be creative. I need to see things to be inspired and work creatively, however I also need space to cut, sew, design and finish things for sale. So, having a place set up to function well and focus has been the most important step I’ve taken thus far in defining myself as a textile artist.
LM: What do you love about this side business of creating?
SC: Besides enjoying the creative process as I make pieces for sale or for clients, I love offering felting workshops. Because this craft in its simplest form can be done by almost anyone, I love helping others unlock their “inner crafter” by teaching felting to small groups of people. I’ve met some terrific folks, women primarily, of all ages, who when they come together to felt, enjoy each others company, share stories and perspectives, and discover their own creative energy.
This image was taken during Needle Felting 101 with Living Halifax and host Heidi Petracek (5th person from the left). See the clip here.
SC: It’s way too much fun to be “work”. Can your work be fun and still remain fun? Maybe that’s the lesson I am learning as I continue on this portion of lif’e journey … yes, what brings you joy, can indeed be work !!! And my craft is a “real job”.
What I dislike is the uncertainty in knowing whether or not I can indeed make a living doing what I love as a craftsperson … I’d love to hear from others who read this. What’s key to making a living as a craftsperson ?
Wrapped up in all its joy is a pile of risk that I am trying to blindly ignore or perhaps stubbornly put aside, in persuit of being a textile artist.
I watched a PBS special on Craft in America a while back and it explained that there is a fine line between craft and art. You must study your craft, explore it, perfect it. Know it well enough to express your heart – then it will truly be ART.
LM: Is there someone who is doing what you are doing or what you would like to be doing that you look to for inspiration? Who and why?
SC: I have had a great chance to meet other successful craftspeople at the NSDCC craft fairs. I am inspired by their business savvy, determination, and passion. They also are very happy to share info and offer advice, especially to cautious “crafters” such as myself.
LM: Cold or hot cereal?
SC: Yuck, to cold cereal in winter. Lately I’m hooked on instant oatmeal which lets me felt till 1 pm. without having to break for lunch (and face those dirty dishes I mentioned which side track me far too easily). With raisins. And cinnamon, for spice.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING SUSAN!
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PAST ARTIST INTERVIEWS
Artist: Katie Muth
Location: Toronto, ON
I don’t remember when I came across Katie Muth’s work. I just remembering being so enchanted with the print work, the nostalgia in many of her images and the simply lovely colour palatte. Katie is an independent artist, illustrator, and printmaker normally based in Toronto, Canada but currently living in Sydney, Australia for 2008. She designs and prints in her home-based workshop. I chose Katie as December’s Artist of the Month because she has some of the sweetest wintery holiday cards around!
The following is our interview about her work and process.
Love, Me: What is your technique? Where did you learn it? What are your materials?
Katie Muth: I went to OCAD in Toronto where I learned lino-cut relief printing. I use linoleum, carving tools, ink, a roller, and paper to create my work. Katie has a great step-by-step on her website about her printing process.
LM: Were you always an artist? What were you in a previous life? Are you full-time artist in this life?
KM: If you asked me as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up I would have said “an artist”, so I guess the answer is yes. I worked a couple years in a soul-sucking office job before starting my business, so I’m pretty happy to say that being an artist/business owner is now my full-time job.
LM: What is an average day for you like?
KM: There seem to be a couple types of days for me. In quieter times I can spend way too much time researching leads that I don’t follow up on, and obsessively checking my inbox for new orders. But if I’m getting a new collection ready to launch, or producing work for a craft fair or market like I’m doing right now, I’ll be running around like a mad-woman and working non-stop from 7am ’til past midnight (a couple times it’s been all night).
LM: Best/worst things about running your own business?
KM: See above. Also – I care about it like nothing I’ve ever cared about – which fits into the best AND worst category.
LM: What are your inspirations? What do you do/look at/listen to to get the creative energy flowing?
KM: The beauty in the world around me. I love capturing the sweetness and bittersweetness of a tiny moment in everyday life. I usually have ideas percolating for a while. If I have done sketches of the idea, I look back to this when I’m designing. I listen to WFMU on the web.
LM: Tell me about your studio – where is? what does it look like?
KM: Most of the time, it’s a giant mess, and I just clear an area to work in. I’ve learned that I can’t let that stop me from getting stuff done, so I just work with it. I have some stuff that inspires me tacked up above my desk/work table. A beautiful pencil drawing that my Grandmother did of my Greatgrandfather, and work that I admire by friends.
LM: My favorite “off” day is spent …
KM: Best day off recently was spent at THE ZOO!!!
LM: My current art & design obsessions is/are…
KM: I’ve been collecting coffee cups and bottles that are printed with lovely patterns. There seems to be much more interesting packaging design here in Australia. But my ‘trash’ collection must be thrown out very soon. I’m moving back to Canada in a week!
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ARTIST: Kate Singer AKA: Marmalade
LOCATION: Toronto, ON
Love, Me: What is your background story?
Kate Singer: Before Marmalade I was heading in a completely different direction. I went to Queen’s University planning to eventually become a history teacher! Oh how different my life would have been. I ended up finishing a master’s degree in Native history, mostly just for interest sake. I describe myself that year as a “wilting flower”. I realized that I couldn’t bury myself in books, and began to realize that, although I had never considered a career in the arts, making things was where my passions lay. Confused, and not sure what to do next, I headed to Jeju island, South Korea to teach English for a year, take a break, and consider the next phase. I worked evenings, so during the day I studied pottery with a local potter. My time spent silently potting (my teacher and I didn’t speak the same language!) confirmed what I suspected: I wanted to turn what I loved, making things, into a career. Originally I considered ceramics, but when I returned home from Korea an idea struck me involving fabric and glass. I set to work soldering pendants, and spent the summer in my station wagon peddling my wares at craft shows and folk festivals around Ontario.
Eventually I set my sights a little higher, and began to study silver smithing at night at George Brown College. I continued to sell my soldered pendants, but began to develop the sterling silver/resin/Japanese fabric line that I sell today. I guess I’m mostly self taught really. I learned the skills I needed to know at school, but also spent a lot of time on online jewellery forums, and reading books, figuring out the little things that they didn’t teach at night school!
A peak at Marmalade:
L,M: What is a typical day for you?
KS: A typical day for me starts will a cup of coffee and toast in the living room with my husband Dave. He’s in school so we’re both around in the morning to chat. This is my favorite time of the day. We talk about what we’re going to accomplish in the day ahead. This helps me, because sometimes being self employed means that I have to keep a lot of things that need to get done in my head, and the tasks just swirl around and drive me a bit crazy.
I then head to my studio. I just moved out of the backyard studio, to a space around the corner from my house. That’s where I spend my day, literally making jewellery. I have 2 jewellery students, Shannon and Kristen, who work part time helping me fill orders. So I usually chat with them. We listen to a lot of CBC radio, as well as music on Sirius satellite. Kristin likes Indie bands, and Shannon likes 80s rock, I’m easy! I recently banished the TV from my studio because I found myself starting way to many conversations with “This morning on the VIEW…” That’s not really why I banished it. More for productivity. But I really miss my TV.
Other things I do during the day besides making jewellery are: phoning clients, packing and delivering orders, planning new designs (not as often as I like)…but mostly I make jewellery!
L,M: How did you develop a fascination with Japanese textiles/paper? What attracts you to this aesthetic?
KS: I think my fascination with Japanese textiles is based on the fact that Japanese textile creators make the most beautiful/adorable designs. I love the slightly vintage feel of many of the floral designs, and the refined “cute” aesthetic of the animal patterns. My time in Korea probably has something something to do with it too. I really love the way that young people in Asia dress. They seem to really enjoy expressing themselves. This year my husband and I visited Japan on our honeymoon, and the simple beauty of Japan astounded me. Not just the nature, but the department stores! They have the most amazing, well made and designed products everywhere you look. I try to bring a piece of this beauty, expression, and quality craftmanship to the work I make.
L, M: What does the making process involve?
KS: Making Marmalade jewellery involves a lot of polishing silver and cutting out fabric images. The neat thing about Marmalade is that customers (both stores and individuals) can customize their orders. I provide swatch palettes, and a number of styles of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, and clients literally create their own designs. This requires organization, as I offer over a hundred different patterns. I wasn’t always so organized, but now everything is compartmentalized so that I can easily find a swatch of fabric when I need it.
L, M: Where is your studio?
KS: My studio is a small storefront around the corner from my house. I plan on having jewellery stocked there so that people can come have a look. But having just moved, and being a busy time of year, its just a workshop right now!
L, M: What part of having your own line/running your own business do you like the most? Which part do you like the least?
KS: The part of having my own business that I like the most is the sense of pride I feel when good things happen. Like when someone is trying on necklaces, and they find one that looks just right on them, and I feel like, oh, I made that, and it suits you perfectly. Or when someone tells me they bought a necklace last year, and continue to wear it everyday. I like the fact that what I do everyday doesn’t hurt anybody, and the pieces I make seem to make people happy. I take pride in that, and that why I do what I do.
The thing I like the least about my business, is how difficult it is to take a vacation from. Everyone thinks having your own business means freedom. But really, it takes so much time and thought to grow a business, that even when I’m laying on the beach ( which I haven’t done in a really long time…), or hiking in the woods, my mind always seems to find its way back to Marmalade.
L, M: How do to keep or regenerate your creative mojo?
KS: Creativity come pretty naturally to me. I have many more ideas, than I have time to execute them. But it is difficult to keep my energy up sometimes, when I have a lot to do. I guess I just give myself little rewards for a job well done…things to look forward to…that kind of thing. I don’t mean big things. More like fajita night and an episode of mad men. That’ll get me through a day no problem!
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OCTOBER
Artist: Rilla Marshall AKA: Marshall Arts
Location: Corner Brook, Newfoundland
I got to know Rilla years ago when we both spent Saturday morning’s at the Halifax Farmer’s Market selling our wares. Rilla was such a joy to chat with because she was so full of energy (even at 7am!) What I love about her work is that combination of the rich tradition of weaving and her contemporary artistic palate resulting in gorgeous, colourful scarves that both an urban 30-something and a 70-something would love. Her scarves are functional works of art.
Below is an e-interview I had with Rilla about her work along with images of her gorgeous scarves.
Love, Me: What drew you to weaving?
Rilla Marshall: I first learned to weave as a teenager, convincing a friend of mine’s mother (who was a weaver) to teach me private lessons. I always loved cloth: sewing, knitting, dyeing, and learning to weave as a teen was following this fibre compulsion. It wasn’t until I was a student at NSCAD that I truly gave my full heart to weaving when I discovered I could do a whole BFA in textiles. The reasons I love weaving: weaving has been around since humans started forming civilizations, there is something very elemental about creating cloth for function, ritual, and ceremony. I think I am part math and science nerd and part visual poet and weaving and dyeing allow me to tap into both of those tendencies. I really love colour and touch too – this is where knowledge of fibre and the alchemy of dyeing come into play. The metaphor of weaving (our language is saturated with weaving metaphors) and pattern really feeds into how I find meaning in my work.
LM: What materials do you use to create? Do you dye your own wool? Do you have to spin it first or does it come to your ready to be woven?
RM: My lines of Seaweed and Snakeskin scarves (at Love, Me) are handwoven using wild silk (not processed to make it shine), merino wool (softest, warmest wool in the world), and cotton (very breathable). When weaving the scarf on the loom, my warp (the vertical strings threaded on the loom) is made up of stripes of the wild silk and merino wool, both in a natural white (very important for the later step of over-dyeing). I use factory dyed, fine coloured cotton for my weft (the horizontal strings inserted when selected warp strings are lifted by pressing the pedals). When the scarves are finished being woven and are off the loom, I hand twist the warp fringes (wild silk and merino wool), and then hand-felt each scarf individually. Hand felting means agitating in hot, soapy water, causing the merino wool warp stripes to shrink and get fuzzy, while the silk and cotton don’t felt at all. This felting creates the alternating stripes of felted and ruffly texture in the scarf. After the scarf is felted, I hand-dye each scarf individually in synthetic acid dyes – this is where the cool alchemy comes in: acid dyes only dye protein fibres, ie. fibres that come from animals (the wild silk and wool), they don’t dye cellulose fibres, ie. fibres from plants (the cotton). This dyeing allow me to achieve rich multi-tone colours because the silk and merino wool absorb the colour in slightly different ways, while the coloured cotton used for the weft will remain its original colour. Dyeing is very fun and is always such an exciting final step. I do not spin my own wool for these scarves – that would take way too long! My fibre supplier is a Quebec company – buy Canadian! As just explained, I do the dyeing of the protein fibres after the scarves are woven (over-dyeing), while the cotton element is coloured when I receive it.
LM: How long does it take to complete a scarf?
RM: The amount of time it takes to complete one scarf really depends on the width of the scarf. I also don’t just weave one scarf at a time, I always set up my loom for weaving six scarves one after the other – having a big variety of coloured cotton to choose from for the weft of each scarf, plus the last step of over-dyeing, allows me to achieve a wide variety of colour and no two scarves are ever the same colour-wise because of this. it takes approximately between 2 – 3.5 hours per scarf if I was to break it down.
LM: Weaving itself seems very repetative – Does it become like a zen practice where you are totally present in each stroke or does it keep your hands busy while your mind can go elsewhere?
RM: Weaving is totally a zen-like practice for me. I get antsy if I am away from my looms for more than a week. Even though it is repetitive and can seem very tedious to some people, I love the concrete, tangible productivity of it: there is something very primal for me about creating cloth one line at a time. It is also a very physical activity, involving the use of my whole body: my feet and legs to push the pedals, my arms and shoulders to propel my shuttle (carrying my weft) and my hands to catch the shuttle (kind of like playing a piano). There is a rhythm and speed that is achieved that is oh so satisfying. There is also something about creating order out of chaos that I love: all those strings could very easily get very tangled, but the methodical nature of knowing the process inside out prevents that. My mind does go elsewhere – often to daydreaming about future designs and scarf possibilities….I find if my body is in the right rhythm of concentration, it frees up my mind.
RM: My studio is in my home that I share with my partner in Corner Brook, Newfoundland (west coast of the Rock, lots of mountains). We live in a large studio apartment (one big room) in one of the oldest buildings in Corner Brook….I work, live, eat and sleep all in one room. I have two looms, one very big that I use for creating textile art work for exhibition, and a small one that I use for my scarf production. I work full-time as a weaver – this means that I get up and start work at 9-9:30am and usually work until 5-6pm. All day is not spent weaving (though sometimes I wish it was), because I am a one-woman operation, I have to take time to communicate with my retail clients (like you), apply for provincial funding program (to help me go to the One of a Kind for example), put shop orders together, photograph my work, promote my work, book-keeping, etc. I usually try and do some yoga in the morning (keep my body happy for a day of weaving) and pop out for a walk or a run in the afternoon. I always listen to CBC radio One or Two for company.
Thank you for sharing Rilla!
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Rilla’s scarves are lovely and the photos show them off very well. There’s nothing like having one of these scarves in your own hands though, so you can experience the soft delicate warmth of the mix of natural fibres, examine the intricate weaving at close quarters, and revel in the range of colour produced by the dying process. Lucky me! I was able to do just that last weekend in beautiful Woody Point, Newfoundland. Great to meet you Rilla!
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