What attracted us to Ariane Gatien‘s work is the clever use of rovings in her weaves, bringing out textural interest and sweetness (it reminds us of cotton candies!) in her pieces. Ariane has came full circle in her crafty pursuit – rekindling her early interest in art after quitting her job as an accountant and now she’s an owner of her Etsy shop, Blanc Laine. We had a chat with this Canadian based maker on her weaving style, creative process and more.

1. Tell us more about your background and what led you to choosing weaving as a craft?
I’ve always been surrounded by art as my mum is an artist, but it took me some time to figure out my interest in it. I went to business school and began my career as an accountant. However, feeling like there was missing something, I quit my job and went back to school, majoring in interior design. I knew then that creating things made me truly happy, and my interest in raw materials, colours and textures grew from there. I then discovered modern weaving through Pinterest and I knew it’d be my thing, so I got hooked to it since then!

2. What makes you a KOEL Kid?
My designs are usually simple and minimalistic as I believe that less is more. I like to work with neutral and soft colours, and let the textures be the main focus of the piece. Finding and combining different fibres together is always my favourite part of the process.

3. Share with us the creative process behind each of your project.
I’d love to have a more structured creative process, but the truth is being spontaneous is what works best for me. I’ve tried in the past to sketch and plan my designs in advance, but I was never able to follow them and always ended up with completely different designs. Now, I just go with my inspiration in the moment. And the only things I really need are focus and good music!

4. Pick one of your favourite designs and answer these quick questions!

The inspiration behind this design is… A walk in the woods

The dream store in which I would like to stock this design is… Anthropologie

If this design made it big, I would… Travel as much as I can!

If this design could talk, it would say… Touch me! (:

5. Great things take time, so how much has changed since you first started weaving and where do you see it in the next five years?
I started weaving only a year ago and so much has changed already! Modern weaving has become really popular over the last few months so it’s been fun to discover other weavers and be part of this amazing community. I’ve gone from practicing weaving as a hobby to working full time on it as a business now. A lot has changed since I started, but I still continue to learn everyday. In the next five years I’d love to make larger pieces and experiment with natural dyeing, but for the rest I’ll let life surprise me!

Photo Credits: Ariane Gatien