Fiber artist Sally England, who has designed woven wall art and sculptures for the likes of high-profile clients and Ace Hotels in London and Portland, confesses she has a dream client: Joni Mitchell. “I feel like she’s gifted us so much through her music and I would love to make her something as a way to give back,” says the Ojai, California-based artist. “I’d also love to tour her home. Since she’s an artist herself, I imagine walking around her home feels a little like walking around her brain.”
Dream client aside, England’s own fate with a career in art was sealed 13 years ago with a graduate school project in which she taught herself the art of macramé. “My first project was making a huge 6-foot-by-5-foot divider using alternating square knots with thick white industrial rope,” explains the Pacific Northwest College of Art grad. “The scale and modernity was something that hadn’t been done in this way before, and it received a really positive response. I exhibited my work in a show at a former small gallery and shop in Portland, Golden Rule, and photographer Laure Joliet posted pics of my piece on her blog. From there, photos of my work went viral across other blogs and Pinterest.”
Shortly after, England received her first two commissions for works made with knotted rope and cord for a store in Portland, followed by several pieces for Ace Hotel. “I love spatial problem-solving and finding the perfect design and texture for an environment,” says the Ann Arbor, Michigan native. “Fiber art brings so much warmth to a space, and for me it’s so fun and rewarding when I’m able to make people and spaces feel good through my work.”
England—who counts fiber artists of the 1960s and ‘70s such as Claire Zeisler, Ruth Asawa, and Sheila Hicks among her inspirations—notes that she’s most engaged with the overall process. “I love experimenting with different materials and textures,” she says. On a typical day in the studio, she listens to music, audiobooks and podcasts while her dog, Finn, plays with rope spools and cardboard tubes. “I usually do a rough sketch of my design, and let the work take me where it wants to go. I love the knotting process. It’s quite meditative.”
England has just finished a large-scale wall sculpture alongside her friend and ceramicist Fanny Penny, who created terracotta geometric-shaped pieces to complement the thick, knotted linework. She also hopes to introduce more stained glass into her designs, something she toyed with during an artist residency abroad. “I definitely want to play with incorporating more stained glass into my work,” says England. “I have some big ideas for a solo show I’m having next year at a gallery in San Francisco. My favorite piece that I’ve made to date is ‘Cathedral.’ It’s a stained glass-and-cotton piece that I made during my artist residency in Tuscany the fall before the pandemic. I hand-cut and soldered all of these stained glass amorphic shapes that I then connected together with tiny knots. I love the effect and the contrast between the hard and soft elements, along with the play of light and shadow.”
This summer, England expanded her artistic reach for kids with the launch of Rainbow Room, a camp she conceived originating from her own home studio. “I love helping kids to realize the joy of making things by hand,” says England. “It’s basically the art camp I dreamed of going to as a kid.”
England’s Design Inspirations
Nature
“Being outside in my garden is my happy place. I love to be in nature. It’s how I ground myself when the world is feeling a little crazy. I feel super fortunate to live down the street from a nature preserve, and just a short drive away from the mountains and ocean.”
Lotusland
“It’s such a magical garden with such a rich and interesting history. The aloe garden is my favorite.”
Ali Golden
“It’s my favorite boutique in Ojai. It’s so fun and colorful. I have a piece hanging in the shop.”
