From Canvas to Carpet

The story of Cecilia creating bold original art and bringing Carpets CC to life.

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Born from Cecilia's inspiration, combinations of lines and forms, are cross-sectioned and sketched in different shapes and sizes onto blank pieces of white paper. Whilst some of these sketches naturally draw to a close, certain designs stand out, continuing to inspire and adapt as colours are added and the drawing evolves.

My goal is to find perfect symmetry between form, shape and colour.

The transformational moment of moving the design idea to a blank canvas is the most time consuming, yet exciting, aspect of the journey. Pencil lines and shapes are drawn, intersections are changed, lengths and heights are measured for accuracy, base colours are added and thickness of future colour swatches are determined to ensure everything is in place to move the vision forward. If, after the set up, the design continues to inspire the next step begins. Small to large tubes, round jars and bottles, mixing and choosing colours from acrylic paints, making sure the perfect hues are achieved to move onto the 'fun part' - adding the colours to the canvas to bring the design to life.

The texture of the paint surface, smooth or rough, brings out different relationships in the painting.

So when does a finished canvas become a carpet? A painting is one kind of visual experience, whereas a carpet is a very different, tactile experience - not all designs lend themselves to this type of transformation. After careful consideration and assessment, Cecilia concludes which ones should be selected for handcrafting and in what sizes. The chosen canvas is then modified into a carpet template and then begins the process matching the wool to the paint colours, including the possible inclusion of silk for effect. Once colours and materials have been decided upon, our carefully selected Indian partners, begin hand-knotting the carpet against the master template using the principal raw material - New Zealand semi-worsted wool. This is a skilled yet time consuming process - seeing the carpet being handcrafted and brought to life is something to behold. Knotted and trimmed by hand and the colour 'fixed' by the heat of the sun, they are as much a work of art as Cecilia's original designs.

Seeing my inspiration turned into these beautiful handcrafted carpets over the course of 4 months, is always a proud moment and one I want to share with you.
— Cecilia Setterdahl