Small Talks: Janna Maria Vallee

Janna Vallee is the founder of Everlea Yarn, dyeing merino wool sourced from New Zealand using natural plant dyes. Based in British Columbia, Janna has become a prolific textile artist, constructing elegant weavings and tapestries with a keen attention to color and geometric form. Along with working on a loom, Vallee creates beautiful knits and wearables rich with vibrant colors cultivated from her local environment. With a focus on craftsmanship and a dedication to consciously materials, Janna’s work is an inspiration for textile makers and lovers alike. You can keep up with her latest projects through Instagram and Facebook.

On March 26th, 1pm EST, Janna will lead a workshop on tapestries using homemade looms and paper collage as part of our March workshop series.

Your sketchbook, “Lines,” from 2011 feature these really fascinating fibrous strips of rubbings on the paper. Could you talk about what the process was like to create this sketchbook?

That was a fun process, and was actually a small part of research for a bigger project that I was working on at the time called “Textile Tools” which saw many different textile paraphernalia in rubbing form. For this sketchbook, I stuck to doing rubbings of yarn and a wooden block-printing tool. For the process to work to its full potential in sketchbook form, I had to dismantle the sketchbook first. I used graphite to create thick line rubbings of various weights of strewn yarn as well as a wooden block printing tool. My favourite part of the process was reassembling the sketchbook and seeing which pages would be paired side-by-side.

It’s been about a decade since you submitted this contribution. How has your artistic practice changed since then? Do you notice any parallels or differences to your work today?

There are many parallels for sure. The media and the tools I use are still guiding forces in my art practice. Also, the meta aspect of the subject matter is a constant in my work. I like my artwork to be self representative somehow, so I don’t need to take full responsibility for its existence and continue to learn from it. The same theme appeared in my collaboration with Katie Earle (2013-2016) where the photo documentation of our years-long collaboration became the departure point for a joint series of tapestries. All of the hand woven tapestries in the series were based on photos of other textiles we had made.

Working as a fiber artist, many people assume you might not need a sketchbook. How does sketching play a role in your creative process? Do you keep a sketchbook of your own?

I don’t keep a sketchbook, but I do keep a dye-book as well as make mini tapestry studies whenever I need to get a creative itch scratched, which is often.

Oftentimes, the most daunting part of beginning a new project is beginning with a blank page or a spark of creativity. What is your brainstorming process like when you start a new piece or dyeing experiment?

My go-to is to just warp up my loom and start weaving. One of my favorite pieces began that way. I had woven 28” wide and 4” high of plain white wool tapestry before I knew where I was going with it.

I’ve been a bit boring on the experimentation front when it comes to natural dyeing these days. Because the dyes all come from different plants, they have different qualities and live in certain environments. Since I turned my art practice into a business, I’ve stuck with what I know works and only experiment within certain confines. It’s still alchemy and still fun, and what keeps it interesting is just how stunning the colors are. That never gets old.

You work primarily with textiles, creating weavings and tapestries. How did this become your medium of choice? Were you always working with fibers and knits, or did you come to prefer it as your style developed?

I was a seasoned knitter when I was introduced to a 2-year technical textile art diploma program at Capilano University in 2008. As soon as I learned about it, I knew it was for me and applied immediately. That program gave me a technical foundation which set me up for success to graduate with distinction with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Fibres and Material Practices program at Concordia University in Montreal. I left that program with too many options within the textile media to choose from, and in the midst of the overwhelm Mirrix Looms sent me tapestry loom in exchange for blogging. It was the perfect opportunity to really dive into my favourite mediums which I had deemed “too slow to make a sustainable living doing,” natural dyeing and tapestry, and I haven’t looked back.

What are some art supplies that you can’t live without?

100% my Mirrix Looms. I was lucky to receive my 16” Mirrix fairly early in my tapestry journey. They are the best portable tapestry loom out there and are made in the USA! 

Could you describe what your workspace is like for those who might not be familiar with the processes of natural dyeing or making fiber art? How do you source and preserve your natural materials?

My dyespace is simple. I have a dyeroom which includes a large indigo vat (that moves outside in the summer), some large mordanting pots for preparing my wools for taking dye extracts, and many vessels for extracting dyes and dyeing yarns. I also have a yarn rinsing and drying room. My other studio space is my weaving studio and yarn shop which houses my 38” and 16” Mirrix looms, my 45” Leclerc Mira floor loom and all of my shop offerings including Mirrix Looms and accessories and all of my naturally dyed wool yarns.

I have harvested some dyes locally, like weld, but I mostly source my natural dyes from Maiwa, whom I know sources them ethically. I don’t have my own dye-garden yet but that is the goal! The dye plants remain in dry form until I will be dyeing with them since some can lose their effectiveness over time or get moldy when in a wet, extract form.

You are the creative mind and maker behind Everlea Yarn. Could you speak about how your company came about, your mission, and how your brand has grown over the years? What’s next for Everlea?

All the things that I offer at Everlea Yarn from the looms and yarn to the workshops, are materials, tools and techniques that I am deeply familiar with. The business developed naturally as my students and patrons continued to ask for my yarn and tools.

Knowing where my wool comes from and how it is processed and made into yarn is of utmost importance to me. One doesn't graduate with a degree in textiles without learning about the ugly underbelly of the industry, including the exploitation of the environment, animals, and people’s labour and health. I offer Canadian harvested and spun yarns which have been minimally processed, as well as certified organic merino from New Zealand which is spun in Canada. I hand-dye the yarns myself with plant dyes. I also offer USA-made Mirrix tapestry looms and accessories, as well as online and in-person workshops.

My brand has grown somewhat slowly, but not without intention. I think many businesses whose foundations are based on an art practice have a windy road to navigate before success is found - however that is measured. It was when my son entered kindergarten in 2018 that I was able to fully dive into creating a textile business and it has been growing consistently since. Being a solo-preneur can be very isolating, so investing in things like an accountant and business coach are not things that I’ve ever regretted.

My plan is to just keep doing what I love and see where that takes me and my business.

You currently live on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Do you find inspiration from the colors and textures of the coast’s beautiful rugged land and seascapes?

The word that captures BC’s landscape best is “lush,” and, in lushness, there is life. I grew up in BC, then moved away for 16 years living in various cities, and so I am more appreciative than ever of the beauty and life of the lush coast. It most definitely appears in my artwork in the form implied textures, mimicking things like the bark of trees. But more importantly, nature is right outside my studio which is at the foot of a mountain, so I don’t need to go far for a moment of fresh air accompanied by the sound of fresh water finding its way to the ocean. What is more inspiring than that?

Along with creating work and yarns for Everlea, you also teach workshops on weaving and natural dyes. What is the greatest piece of art-making advice you’ve ever received?

I love teaching and that is in no small part because I was taught by incredibly talented female artists who were passionate about teaching. My 2008-2010 design teacher Eleanor Hannan asked us to look for any evidence that our design is working. There is always some evidence of goodness, and I try to find and use those as points of departure.

Who are some artists that influenced your own creative development?

The artists who have had the biggest impact on my art practice are still the fabulous female artists who taught me throughout my art degree between Capilano and Concordia University: Ruth Scheuing, Eleanor Hannan, Anthea Mallinson, Mary-Lou Trinkwon, Barbara Layne, Kelly Thompson, and Ingrid Bachmann. They are all deeply devoted to their art practices as well as to teaching young artists, and I think that is a tough combination to come by. I really lucked out. The farther away that I find myself from those art school days, the more value I see in the quality time spent with so many impressive, successful career artists who are women. 

Interdisciplinary artist Corrie Peters has also had a huge impact on my practice both aesthetically and in terms of her constant investigation into the social ethics of her life and art practice.

Where do you find inspiration today?

The best moments are those where I am surprised by the depth of goodness, beauty, and simplicity of the story I’m participating in or witnessing. I draw inspiration from those moments.

How can people support your work?

Thank you for asking! My artwork is available for purchase. My naturally dyed weaving and knitting yarns, and tapestry supplies are available online. My comprehensive online tapestry weaving workshops can be found at the School of SweetGeorgia.