Karen Campbell

Unlike so may others here whose artistic talents have long been a part of their lives, mine is just developing. My newly discovered artistic passion is weaving – a tradition as old as wo(man) – the blending and crossing of fibers into fabric, accessories and works of art.

Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.
-Andy Warhol

As a novice weaver I find these words by Andy Warhol inspirational. They reassure me that it’s OK if the results are not perfect, not to worry about what others think, to be authentic to my own style, to embrace creativity and be determined. And what fun it has been to discover my style, make mistakes, move on, and enjoy every moment of it!

I find traditional weaving to be cathartic. All of the planning is done in advance so once you get beyond the warping process and into the actual repetitive back and forth rhythm of weaving a scarf or shawl, it is calming and I often find myself daydreaming or looking out at the mountains.

This is certainly not the case when weaving a tapestry, which requires all my attention. As you see from the photos, the tapestries I weave are organic unlike traditional tapestries. Only their general size and color scheme is planned in advance, not the design. It is exciting to watch them evolve, knowing only that whatever happens next is dictated by the effect just achieved a few moments earlier by combining various yarns, textures and stitches. The end result is always a surprise and that is half the fun!

Time to go warp a new project!