A few weeks back, we were able to visit Robyn's home in Phoenix, AZ to talk about work, family, and of course, where she got every beautiful piece in her home. :) Robyn is as beautiful and kind-hearted as she is talented, and we loved the excuse to visit with her and little Mabel all morning. Enjoy learning about Robyn below, and then check out her gorgeous work here!
1. Tell us a little about you and your family.
Growing up in Phoenix I have always loved the sunshine and big open space the desert brings. My husband Matt is from Washington, where we met after college. We met in Seattle while Matt was in his residency as a family medicine physician and I was working night shift as a pediatric nurse. We connected over a love for people, adventure and travel. A year after we were married we had our son Hank and moved back to Arizona to be near family. I decided to stay home and be a full time mama. Our sweet daughter, Mabel, was born this past summer. She has made our lives even more full and fun! Every day is different, and three years later we still feel like we are finding our groove as parents and desert dwellers.
2. When did you start fiber art/how did you learn/how long does each project take to create?
It was almost five years ago that I first came across a weaving tutorial on one of my favorite blogs (abeautifulmess.com) and decided that day I wanted to give it a try. I've always loved being creative and I really appreciated that I could pick up the loom and weave after working a shift at the hospital. For me it was a way to recharge and fuel this other part of my soul in a way that nothing else did. After moving back to Arizona I decided to start a small business and opened an online shop. I began teaching workshops and now I love helping other people develop their skills in fiber arts. Weaving tends to move at a slower pace, which I don't really mind. Depending on the size and details, a wall hanging can take anywhere from 4 to 24 hours.
3. What is it about fiber art that inspired you to create it?
I have always been a huge fan of interior design. I love how a piece of art can just make a space feel complete. Fiber art caught my eye immediately. A woven hanging can really add variety and dimension to a wall. I fell in love working with the colors & textures (chunky cotton, natural jute, soft alpaca) and the different ways the fibers can be manipulated to create something beautiful.
4. Being that you work from home, what’s the best way you’ve learned to balance work and family?
The thing I really appreciate about creating fiber art is that it works with our day to day lives. It's an art medium that you can easily pick up or step away from, without much prep time or mess to clean up. I've had to scale back quite a bit with my commissions and orders since having our daughter. But like anything this is just a season of life and there will be more time down the road to create. I just want to make sure I get to soak up every ounce of these little years with our babes.
5. What are your favorite small shops/artists for home décor?
6. Where can we buy your products online/locally?
My pieces are available through West Elm (Phoenix) , Etsy and at the Phoenix Flea.
7. Tell us about hobbies outside of work!
During these cooler days we are all about hiking, biking and being outside! On weekends we like grabbing a cold brew coffee and cruising through the farmers market. We are big fans of live music. We also try to travel back to the Pacific Northwest to visit family & friends whenever we can.
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