About Elysse

I am a multimedia artist and designer living in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Originally from San Francisco Bay Area with roots and influences from Scotland and Hawaii, I focus particularly on fiber art and design.

I am driven to transform yarn, fabric, and fiber into unexpected, organic forms. These components are dynamic by nature, but when spun into yarn or created into flat fabric they lose some of that. Without skill and creative techniques they become constructionist and blocky, and it is challenging to capture their original organic nature that we also find in nature. When I discovered fiber art, two of my first inspirations were the Crochet Coral Reef and Helle Jorgensen. Trained professionally as a medievalist, I am also highly influenced by the fourteenth and fifteenth century as well as medievalisms explored by the Pre-Raphaelites and contemporary fantasy literature (especially JRR Tolkien and the material interpretation of The Lord of the Rings led by the WETA Workshop). Finally, as a language nerd and professional writing tutor, learning about different cultures through their languages deeply influences my work.

My current focuses are exploring small organic sculptures in multiple techniques, knitting patterns that feature garter stitch and eyelet lace, historic and contemporary tapestry, and breaking through boundaries.

About UnspunWorld

UnspunWorld has existed, in one form or another, since 2012. In its current iteration, it serves as a gallery for my fiber art, a collection point for my knitting patterns, and a blog about my artistic pursuits. I hope you enjoy your visit!