Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rhianne Evans. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rhianne , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

How did you learn to do what you do?

I have been crocheting for many years but crochet portraits are so very different to what I was used to. Once I fell in love with crochet portraits and the idea of doing them myself, I found other crochet artists online and tried to copy what they were doing. There is another great artist that inspired me to do this type of artwork and thankfully she had a patreon and tutorials that helped me understand the process of creating freeform crochet art.

Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?

Not given up so easily when it wasn’t going my way.

It is a difficult art and it requires many hours of practice. It is also very easy to go wrong and having to undo the portrait multiple times before finally getting it right was disheartening at first. Mt first full portrait took me over a year of picking it up and putting it down when it wasn’t going right.
In this time, I had still crocheted many things and had continued to do smaller portrait pieces until I was confident enough to finish the full portrait.

What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Knowing all the different crochet stitches and being able to create different shapes with crochet has been the biggest part of making these portraits. I also started to paint portraits which gave me a better understanding of colour and how the facial features are formed. I have also been a professional photographer for almost 20 years, so knowing how to position faces to show their best features has helped me greatly.

The only real obstacle that has stood in my way is me. I am very particular when presenting something and if it isn’t to my satisfaction then it’s rubbish. Even if no one else thinks that it is.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In all honesty I got into this industry because I was jealous how other artists created with their hands and I used my camera. I will always love photography and have found a sense of fulfilment in my photographic artwork, but there was a gap, a physical need that I found in creating with crochet. I studied photographic art at university and left with my degree armed and ready to create! I made photography my career, photography soon became my full time job and I loved it.

I read that jealousy was a good insight as to what your heart wants, and eventually I began to create with my hands and it opened up a whole new world. I can’t explain exactly why I felt this way, but the physical act of making something was the missing piece – it was fulfilling.

My job now is to create, that alone feels fantastic, sometimes a little scary, but I’ve always worked for myself and have learnt to trust the path I’m on.
This year me and my husband opened up our shop in France, Lune Bleue; it’s a gallery/boutique and a space where I can create.

Our shop is a new adventure and has enabled me to share my crochet artwork to the physical world (rather than only online)

The shop also allows me to see what sells! I have been pleasantly surprised at how my crochet has flown off the shelves and the interest in my crochet portraits has been humbling.

The shop has given me and my husband the opportunity to collaborate, we are finding ways to blend our skills to create practical art.
We are in the very early stages of this but so far we have created some interesting lamp designs which we hope to elaborate on as we develop and find our combined style.
My plan for the future is to share this space with other artists, host workshops, and hold many exhibitions for both mine and other peoples art.

I can and have created portraits for commission, but I am currently working on an exhibition for this august. It is taking up most of my time but will be worth it.

What sets me apart from others is my drive. I know what I want and will keep going until I feel I’ve achieved my goal. The goal posts are forever moving, but I think that way I keep pushing myself to new levels. When I started creating crochet art, I almost gave up so many times. It was my determination to create something that inevitably forced me to continue.
I feel I am still like this with most of my projects. I put them down with a feeling of disappointment only to pick them straight back up and continue until they are complete.

In all honesty, I really love a good challenge, even if it makes me mad sometimes. I feel as though, although my love is crochet, I won’t limit myself to just that artform anymore, not like I did with photography. Now I’ll use whatever medium is necessary to create my artwork. For me it’s the end results, not necessarily the way I get there.

I am proud of myself for making such a change in direction with my career.
Photography was my sole passion for so long and in all honesty, paid the bills.
Switching my career over to something less mainstream was very scary, but I’m glad I did it. This is only the beginning which I find exciting!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal has always been to take my visions and turn them into physical art.

As a photographer I reached a point where is took a lot of time, money and people in order to set up and create the sets, the clothes, find the models, etc to be able to create my art. At that time I couldn’t afford it financially. I tried to create these images digitally but it didn’t feel real.

Painting with yarn has allowed me to make my ideas a reality, I am still learning to re create the images I see through crochet, but I now feel I’m on the right path.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I believe that non-creatives may struggle to fully grasp the intricacies of my journey as a creative. While I share my artistic journey online and have attracted a diverse following encompassing both craft enthusiasts and artists, there are certain aspects that may elude those who are not deeply involved in the creative process.

One of the unique aspects of my work is that I bridge the gap between craft and art through crochet. This fusion of mediums has allowed me to cultivate a following that spans across different age groups and artistic communities. However, this also means that some individuals might struggle to comprehend the significance of this crossover and the technical skills required to achieve it.

For instance, I occasionally challenge myself by recreating iconic figures using crochet techniques. This not only serves as a way to practice and refine my skills but also adds a playful and nostalgic element to my work. As long as I can recognize the iconic figure in my crochet creation, I consider it a success.

While my work is generally well received by both craft enthusiasts and artists, there are instances where flaws or imperfections in my creations are pointed out. As an artist, I am well aware of these imperfections and embrace them as part of the creative process. However, this understanding might not always be shared by those who are not actively engaged in the artistic journey. This lack of comprehension can lead to a disconnect in the way my work is interpreted and appreciated.

Nevertheless, I am constantly learning and evolving as an artist, and I find joy in the process. Recently, I have been creating unique pieces using my own reference images or watercolors, which allows me to express my artistic vision more authentically. Through this exploration, I hope to continue inspiring others and sharing the beauty of crochet as a form of art.

By shedding light on these aspects of my creative journey, I hope to provide insight and enlightenment to those who may not fully understand the complexities of the creative process. Ultimately, I believe that art has the power to connect people across different backgrounds and perspectives, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to this vibrant and diverse artistic community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rhiartsy.com
• Instagram: @Rhiartsy
• Facebook: @Rhiartsy
• Twitter: @Rhiartsy
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rhiartsy6470