Who are we?
Brittney grew up in a small town in British Columbia, always interested in creating and learning different crafts. In 2008 she started her Bachelor Degree at Alberta College of Art + Design. She was originally planning on joining the Drawing department but after her first Fibre class she was hooked. From that point on her focus was on weaving and dyeing, loving the way that thread could be manipulated in different ways. She graduated from the Fibre department with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2012.
Reflections on Weaving
My studio practice is based primarily in weaving and dyeing. One of the reasons I am drawn to weaving is that to me it is a physical account of the time that has passed. If each thread is a moment, the finished piece is made of thousands of little moments. Thread by thread the piece is built up using many small parts that come together to create something larger.
There is something beautiful about weaving. Alone, a single silk thread is not considered special but when hundreds or thousands come together they create something much greater than themselves alone. Together they have a presence and a strength that was not possible before. Each thread in the woven piece represents a moment in time, so that the finished piece is a record of the time passed in creating it.
Weaving is very much a physical process. Both hands and feet have jobs to do in order for the loom to work. It is a very rhythmic activity and if you are lucky you can get to a state where your body starts to work without you actively telling it what to do; it becomes instinctive. Having my hands busy allows my mind to wander and it is quite therapeutic. I find that I go to my loom and reflect on everything that I am excited, confused or angry about. Somehow when I weave I am able to work through anything I am troubled with.