ART STUDIO

When Andersen bought the property, the studio had no plumbing or other amenities. She added a sink in the studio, necessary for mixing dye and general cleanup.

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This counter runs along the east-facing side of the studio and looks out onto the garden. The wooden device at the end is an electric wool winder, used to turn skeins of wool into balls of wool.

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Large baskets and hanging rods are used to store and display dyed wool and some smaller textile creations. The “wishing chair,” as Andersen calls it, seen here beneath some of the storage rods, is another of her creations. She upholstered it in wool, and phrases such as Make a wish and Forget Facebook were written in wool around the front and sides of the seat.

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The studio is filled with Andersen’s large collection of natural dyes, wool and books, every corner brimming with color and inspiration. “I keep my space tidy and I don’t hold on to things if they are not beautiful and useful,” she says.

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Numerous spools of dyed wool decorate the wall in an orderly and functional fashion, alongside one of Andersen’s rugs.

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The west-facing end of the studio is where the rug-making magic takes place. “When I get to the actual making of a piece, it’s like coloring in with wool,” Andersen says. “I wear ear protection and put my music on and hide away from the world.” Here you can see the artist at work with her trusty tufting gun.

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On the eastern end of the veranda, Andersen stores large drums where all of the wool and dyes are immersed in boiling water to soak and stew. This dusty pink wool has been dyed with just 30 grams of carmine, a pigment extracted from the female cochineal insect.

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