Meet Shelly Aaland | Grand Master Knot Tyer – Whimsical Macrame

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelly Aaland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelly, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I started doing macrame as an outlet during the pandemic. I was looking to do something just for me during our time at home. I like to work with my hands, and I found stress relief in tying knots. I began to find beautiful pieces of wood in the mountains near my home. They inspired me to make new creations. Then I began to name the pieces. Some take hours if not days to complete, and I was drawn into the intricacies of the designs. In addition to the names they were given, I began creating little stories around them. The ideas for the stories come from day to day life, audio books and music I listen to, conversations I have, and just plain old imagination.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I love about the art I create is that I hope it reflects real life; a bit messy and not always how you thought it would turn out. I love to make pieces that tell their own story. They may be off-kilter a bit or show some vulnerability. Coupled with names and stories that show the fragility but optimistic aspects of life, my art is different than what you may see in others who work in fiber art.
I am a self-taught artist. I find inspiration in nature, but honestly, most of my ideas come from what I find from other artists. I love to find a certain design element and create an entire life around what I envision it to be with a really cool piece of wood and a unique story to give it.
I have had challenges along the way, but thankfully for me, this started as a hobby that was able grow organically. There have been some pretty impressive fails along the way, but it helped me to laser in on what I want to communicate (and what I don’t).
After someone looks at my art, I want them to feel like they have visited a different world. The unique designs, the names and stories and giving a second life to life discarded wood all bring to life what I call Whimsical Macrame.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend coming to Durango to visit for a week, I would include the following in our itinerary… *stay at the Strater Hotel
*Durango Diner for breakfast (ham cure for the win)
*Sizzling Siam for lunch (chicken pad thai is what I’m getting)
*East By Southwest for dinner (all the sushi, all the time)
*we would hang out daily in nature; Colorado Trail, La Plata Mountains, Haviland Lake, Potato Lake
*get some workouts done at the Vault
*spend some good quality time at Maria’s Bookstore
*then head down the road to Urban Market (between those two, that’s a full day)
*get a hot chocolate treat at Animas Chocolate
*there would be a good amount of hanging out and sharing lovely conversation

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out to my husband and two kids for allowing me the space I needed during the pandemic to explore this new chapter in my life. Without their support of leaving me alone from time to time, I would never have had the time to develop my voice and learn to create. I love you all with all of my heart.

Website: www.whimsicalmacrame.com

Instagram: @whimsicalmacrame

Facebook: Whimsical Macrame