Fiber artist profile Pirkko Vega

For the last week, I have been profiling some of the fiber artists (members of the International Freeform Fiber Artists Group) who contributed to the book: Somewhere in my World,

I have said it before and I’m saying it again:  all the proceeds of the book go to the following 2 charities:

Kiva.org and to Mercy Corp for Haitian relief

Today, I am profiling Pirkko Vega, who is a multi-talented, but very modest, as well as incredibly delightful person. Pirk did the artwork for the cover of the book, as well as contributing to the book.  Link to her page in the book.

As always, my questions are in GREEN and Pirkko’s answers are in black.

1. Can you tell us a little about your piece for ‘Somewhere in my world’? What was your inspiration, and has it lead to further explorations for you?

I have been in Europe, South America and of course North America. The world around me has many exciting features. When I was in Bermuda, I could not stop looking at the beautiful water, the caves, winding roads. When I was in Argentina, my heart stopped when

I went to the mountains: The Andes, the surrounding areas, the streams, wilderness, everything imaginative are for everyone to admire.

There is water everywhere, and Atlantic Ocean is the one in the middle of my different worlds. I made my piece focusing on different areas that I have seen and where I have been.

Right now my inspiration is on another project, so no further

explorations at the moment, but for sure, later.

2. How did you come to be a fiber artist/artisan?

Started in my early teen years, when I discovered that I could create things with yarn.

Later when I was focusing on my creativity in drawings and paintings, I combined those projects with yarn and thread. My projects became paintings. Freeform Crochet and Knitting technique is a perfect process for the paintings I would like to do.

I would say that my junior high school art teacher had some effect on my leaning towards creativity. She was very encouraging.

3. What aspect of your work is most challenging to you?

I would like to be more organized. I tend to just go on and on, and quite often with no specific direction. The ideas are there to bring to life, but my organizing skills need some further development. That is very frustrating sometimes.

4. What part of it is the most rewarding to you? Do you have a favorite process or aspect of all that you do?

When I have created a freeform scrumble that looks interesting and inviting to more scrumbles, I feel very satisfied. One favorite process is to let my hook travel and take its path and bring me “flowers”.

5. How long have you been immersed in your fiber arts?

A very long time. However, the most serious development started around ten years ago, when I tried to make a jacket and got extremely bored with the repetition, so I decided to let my imagination take charge.

6. What triggers your creativity? What is most inspiring to you?

It could be anything, really, a picture, nature, ocean, image in my dreams, and the materials.

Most of my ideas come to me, just before I fall asleep. I can see the images under my eyelids. It’s true.

7. Which of the fiber arts speak most deeply to you?

Freeform crochet.

8. What is your favorite way of getting your work out into the world?

I post pictures in Flickr, Ravelry (picarapirk) and my blog.

9. Does where you live influence your work in any way?

Not really. It’s the world outside my living areas. I live in the city of streets and huge buildings. I much rather get outside the city, at least. Of course, there are many places in our town that could influence my work, but so far I have turned that switch off.

(Noreen interrupting here:  Um…. look at this Urban Image bag that Pirkko designed… I think that the towers of the city are definitely an influence on this one! )

10.Can people buy your work? No. I make gifts.

11. Do you maintain a blog or website? If so, what are their urls?

http://www.pirkcrochets.blogspot.com

12. Do you have a crafting or arts community that influences you and is important to you? (online or ‘real life’). Is it important to you to be in touch with your peers?

I belong to a local knitting group. We meet once a month.

My most important arts community is the International FreeForm group, and the group is indeed very important to me.

13. Do you have an all time favorite piece that you designed?

My Irish Crochet tunic, in semi freeform style.

14. Is there a project or product that has ever flummoxed you and just refused to work out?

I call those UFOs and I have lots of them. The most frustrating is the butterfly in freeform style, that I have trouble

inserting anywhere. It’s still waiting for a the final design, which has not come to life.

15. Is there anything that I have missed that you would like to share with the readers of Tottie Talks Crafts?

I would like to add here that although my main interest is Freeform technique, I also like to crochet Irish Crochet motifs, knit lace shawls, make dolls, and toys, knitted and crocheted. My project ideas come in cycles, right now it’s time for sweaters and tops, tomorrow might be something else. I never know.