An artisan derives inspiration from any of an unlimited number of sources. For me, the most inspiring images are those of flowers and butterflies . . . and some of the photos my children have taken.
That’s not to say that I don’t find inspiration in other places, or from other images, just that these are the ones that I am most drawn to. And I usually create rugs from a design board because it’s faster than trying to look through all my materials and figure out what goes well together, and what warp color combination will be the best.
My rug loom is capable of holding enough warp for five rugs at a time, so when I’m ready to plan that series of five rugs, I choose a group of images that will all work on the same warp color combination. Pixaby and Public Domain Pictures are my two ‘go to’ sites for images, both of which are public domain sites. I may search for a color, or a theme such as ‘beach’, or an item like ‘butterflies’, or ‘flowers’. Scrolling through pages and pages of gorgeous photos is time-consuming, but I usually find that I’m not only collecting inspiration for the current project, but also some possibilities for future projects.
This collage is the design board for the latest collection of rugs to come off the loom . . .
And these are the rugs that were crafted from them.
The rugs in the bottom collage correspond to the images in the same locations in the top collage.
I really enjoy sorting through scrap fabrics to put together a combination based on an inspiration photo and I’m pleased with the way these turned out. It’s very satisfying to have a finished product that is pleasing to a customer and that is considered a good representation of the photo that inspired it.
Some of these rugs have already been sold, but you can see what is available by visiting my store.