Carmella Karijo Rother

My home/studio is nestled among century-old pines in Gatineau Park, Quebec. After completing degrees in biology and environmental studies I worked in nature interpretation. During a break in my career I decided to build on a lifetime of being a "maker". A love of nature, design, and beauty fuels my art, my aesthetic  being one of studied simplicity. I create 2 and 3-dimensional pieces with textiles/fibres, including cotton, paper, silk, and wool. My process for the silk collages: I apply a fusible interfacing to a large piece of Dupioni silk and cut out iterations of a curve, by eye. Once I have laid down layers to create depth, I attach a textile backing and machine sew a curved line across the middle and continue this with parallel lines across the entire canvas. Finally the piece is mounted on an artist canvas which is painted black along the edges, providing a visual frame. My process for the felt sculptures: The process of felting involves layering thin layers of carded wool and massaging them with soap and water. As it shrinks, the fibres interlock and form a solid shape. For the outer surface I paint cotton cheesecloth and apply it, covering this with cold wax, contrasting this with the soft, white felt on the inside. My processes for the woven abstractions: I weave with cotton string in a random pattern, overlapping and knotting on a warp. The weaving is very tight, each element butting up to its neighbours and positioned a certain way. The wooden looms/frames are custom made by my husband and a finish is applied; a plywood backing is the final step before my signature is added.