Meet the Textile Artist Collaborating with Nature

I totally revel in being able to collaborate with my surroundings for my art, whether it be collecting leaves, discovering objects on the road that I can salvage, eco printing and dyeing or just being outside.

I am a migrant but Tasmania has been my home since my teens. We live in the country on a property which is half bush and everything I create reflects where I am.

My mother gave me fabric and started me off with making dolls clothes and my own clothing, and my dad drew and painted in his spare time, so we always had paper and art supplies on hand. My parents wouldn’t even buy a tv for many years because they wanted us to be actively creative instead of just passive observers.

Entering Art Exhibitions as a Textile Artist

I really enjoy entering exhibitions especially, and hosting them.

I like to challenge popular conceptions of what art is, including the techniques and materials I use in my entries.

With this in mind, I enter both art and textile-oriented events.

When I hold exhibitions the fibre and textile-based entries often surprise the uninitiated with their design and impact which helps to validate the art to them in a new way.

The Power of a Good Artist Statement

A good artist statement is very important when entering exhibitions, as well as quality photographs.

Once you’ve been accepted, it’s important to package the artwork carefully and include display instructions.

Balancing the Textile Artist Practice & Art Exhibition Entries

I don’t work towards exhibitions; I make what I need to make and enter anything that fits exhibition guidelines as and when.

Deadlines can help but they can also put too much pressure on you and take away the joy of creating.

Creating the Home Art Studio

I didn’t have a home studio until we moved to our new home in 2023.

It is small but perfectly formed, with a table by the window and lots of storage.

I also have a vintage cupboard as a feature and my table is vintage also.

Everything is labelled and within easy reach.

I also hang up at least one of my artworks to keep me inspired.

Creative Business Lessons Learnt by a Textile Artist

I have learned that it is important to go with the flow and also be open to change.

Thinking Outside of the Square

My arts business, Gone Rustic, has evolved a lot over the years and often I have to think outside the square to keep the income happening.

For example, during Covid I started a VIP group and organised an exhibition at my gallery/studio, with entry fees.

I did better during three months of lockdown than I had leading up to it!

Growing your Artist Profile and Business Profile

These two initiatives also raised my profile both as an artist and as a business, and many of the new members and exhibitors were based interstate or overseas.

Luckily lockdown lifted in time to have an actual display as well as producing an online exhibition.

3 Big & Simple Paths to Creative Joy by a Successful Textile Artist

1. Keep creating.

2. Silence the inner critic.

3. Be yourself.

About the Artist

Artist Rita Summers creates her work from the land itself – leaves and earth – the result of a direct relationship and collaboration with the Tasmanian landscape.

She finds and reinvents vintage and recycled materials with natural dyes or earth paints combined with contemporary stitching techniques, allowing the materials themselves to inspire her creations.

Through these media, Rita constantly explores ways to visually respond to and express her thoughts/reflections about life experiences, her faith and the local environment.

Her qualifications include a Diploma of Art Craft Design (Textiles) and a Bachelor of Education (including an Art major for which she earned a distinction) and has operated a gallery/studio under the name Gone Rustic in St Marys, Tasmania for over 20 years.

Her work has been juried into numerous exhibitions within Tasmania, interstate and overseas, and has attracted many awards.

She has also been published in various Australian and international paper and digital magazines.

Through her business Rita also hosts and curates art exhibitions from Tasmania and further afield, including Europe and the USA.

Rita was born in Canada but has lived, studied and worked in Tasmania since her teens.

Follow Rita as Gone Rustic on Instagram and Facebook, book into a workshop or event with Rita  and explore her inspiring work online at Gone Rustic and join her email newsletter for all the latest happenings (look towards the bottom of some of the website pages for the discrete signup box).