Knitted Canvasses

Artist Statement

Six years ago, I was working on a 8’ by 8’ unstretched canvas, my face a mere inches from the painting, when my eye got distracted by the texture of the canvas underneath. In that moment, I developed a new understanding for what I had always known: canvas is just fabric.

As a long-time knitter, I was intrigued. I had already spent years making my own fabric for blankets and bags and scarves, but had never considered it an art in the same way as my painting. What would happen, I started to wonder, if I combined these two creative traditions?

The knitted canvas series grew out of exploring that question. Over the past several years I have painted on my own knitting, on pieces knitted by friends, and on pieces knitted out of my grandmother’s yarn, in an attempt to create a bridge between the home-based craft of knitting and the studio-based art of painting.

All pieces are for sale. If you’re interested in purchasing a painting, please email miranda.aisling@gmail.com.

The Fine Craft of Knitted Canvasses

In 2013, Aisling gave a presentation on her knitted canvas series at Ignite Craft Boston 3.