We recently connected with Elle Collins and have shared our conversation below.

Elle, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I began to learn weaving by watching a few YouTube videos! I then made my own basic loom and began to experiment.

Due to only watching a few videos of simple techniques, what followed was my own unique style of weaving. I just did what felt right with the fibre and didn’t worry if it was the right or wrong way to do things.

Knowing that I have this passion for textiles (which I only discovered in my 30’s while creating nursery decor for our first child), I do wish I had discovered it earlier. I did 3D Design & silversmithing at university, which of course was still very beneficial to me as an artist, but I very much struggled to complete the course. Maybe had I done textile design I would have been more inspired and therefor ended up further along in my art career.

I feel my most essential skill is having the confidence to try things out myself. Being a lover of many crafts, I’ve never wanted to outsource anything. When my textile art evolved from wall hangings to wood framed pieces, I taught myself how to work with power tools, how to get the best wood finishes and how to create frames which are as much art as what I weave into them.

The only considerable obstacle I feel, is me. As someone who has anxiety, self-doubt is always a little gremlin sitting on my shoulder. But thankfully weaving forces my brain to be more in the moment, to blank out the external noise. The finished pieces take me back to my happy places in nature, where the inspiration for my work stems from. This is something I hope the viewers of my work feel too.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

tell our readers about yourself,

I am a Textile Artist based in the Midlands UK, born in Canada. Originally gaining my degree in 3D Design & Silversmithing, I have since been drawn to larger scale wall art using natural fibres.
Drawing inspiration from UK coastlines and forests, I create contemporary pieces that embrace the sculptural beauty of irregular patterns found in nature.

“I want people to look at my work and imagine their favourite place in nature, where they feel calm, completely at peace and the anxieties of everyday life can simply fade away.”

I use the technique of my own self developed signature knot, alongside traditional hand weaving.

>how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc,

I began my art business, after falling in love with weaving. I only gave it a go as I saw a beautiful wall hanging which inspired me to create something for our son’s nursery. After that I was hooked, I created a website, made some pieces and jumped in feet first.

I’ve tried many styles over the years, incorporating felting and painting into my designs…all of which I adored creating. But I finally feel, after 7 years, that the pieces I’m creating now are a true reflection of my passion.

To create something so time consuming, you really have to enjoy every second. Those seconds turn into many hours/weeks…and there is not one aspect of the whole process that I don’t adore.

>what type of products/services/creative works you provide,

I make one off pieces of woven wall art, it’s impossible to replicate a piece exactly as they involve thousands of knots which are created almost instinctively. I mostly do commissioned work in bespoke sizes for my customers in private residences or businesses all over the world. With the off cuts of oak wood from these large frames, I do small collections of smaller pieces which are ready to buy on my website.

>what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others.

I think what sets me apart from others is my unique style. It’s subtle but extremely tactile and sculptural. It can be a vocal point but also doesn’t overpower a space. I wanted to create a more contemporary form of textile art for the modern interiors of today. To me, textiles bring warmth to a home. In days gone by tapestries would be all over the walls. I’m hoping to do my bit to bring that back in a more modern way.

>What are you most proud of

Quite simply, I’m most proud that people love my work. For people to spend their hard earned money on something I’ve made out of just oak and cotton is truly humbling. As my pieces get bigger and bigger, then they fly off around the world, I know that I was right to follow my dream.

>what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

I am a big nature lover, so hopefully I attract fellow nature lovers with my work. I am especially influenced by rugged coastal landscapes and luscious overgrown woodlands. Which are often explored as a family of 3, all over the UK.

Sustainability and preserving our beautiful planet is of utmost importance. All materials used have been thoroughly researched so they are of the finest quality, yet kind to the Earth. My materials are eco-friendly, no nasty chemicals involved and everything is sustainably sourced.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the biggest struggle I’ve found with non creatives, is they sometimes don’t quite understand this internal urge to release an idea that’s in your head…the time spent developing it and the heart ache when things don’t go to plan. Then there’s the fear you feel when you do finally share it with the world.

But the beautiful thing about art, is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone will love the same things (what a boring world we would live in if that was the case!), but there will always be someone who does. When you find those people it’s the most magical feeling.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The above question helps with this experience.

I recently had a post on Instagram go viral (over 3 million views). After 7 years I had never experienced a negative comment about my work. When the post went viral, of course that changed. It was so hard to focus on the thousands and thousands of lovely ‘likes’ and comments…my brain was fixated on the 20 nasty (not constructive criticism!) comments I was reading. I doubted myself and everything I’d created.

It took me a few days to realise, that these people didn’t deserve even a moment of thought, they do it for the reaction…in the end it actually pushed me even harder to create what I loved. I made my biggest piece to date, which instantly sold to a hotel in Dubai. My first experience of having my work in a hotel.

So there will always be people who don’t like your work, but it’s those that do, who really matter.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ellecollins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellecollinsart/