Whether it’s chatting about her love of dying wools and linen, explaining the busyness of life that comes with a primary schooler, a pre-schooler, and a baby (phew!), or discussing her teaching role where she passes her knowledge on to eager textile students, Pi Williams has a serenity about her. But for this Ettalong artist, there’s no denying the constant yearning inside to ‘create’ and the definite buzz of excitement when she makes something new.
With a background in Fine Arts, Pi has dabbled in a wide range of mediums, from clay to watercolour, acrylics to print making, but it was only after becoming a mum for the first time that her journey as a textile artist began. “I worked in the hospitality industry for a long time before having my first son, but I always used my creativity in any way I could with designing posters and things like that,” remembers Pi. “But after Hendrix was born, that’s really when my whole art journey began, and I ended up falling in love with textiles.”
Like so many mothers before her, Pi found the enormous shift that comes with looking after a new baby challenging at times. “I went through a period of post-natal depression. I was suddenly home all the time and I felt like I’d lost myself a bit. I knew that I had to get out of that frame of mind. Art had always made me happy, and it gave me a sense of freedom, so I went back and revisited everything I’d learnt in Fine Arts.”
Pi started getting commissions for her acrylic paintings and then she attended a weaving workshop in Sydney. It sparked something inside her, kickstarting her journey into textiles. “I didn’t realise there were so many different types of wool, and I just loved the beauty of the bright colours and textures,” says Pi. “I made some wall hangings for family and friends, and then I came across a short video on Pinterest on how to use a punch needle and I remember thinking, ‘Wow! This is amazing!’ so I ordered one and started experimenting.”
Completely self-taught, Pi has been working with a punch needle and combining other textile techniques such as embroidery for around four years. Her artworks are colourful, vibrant, and exploding with life. The sense of pure joy in becoming immersed in the creation process was the perfect outlet to balance the mundane duties, repetition and isolation that can accompany life as a young mother.
“Motherhood kind of forced me to look for an outlet of some kind and take my art more seriously. When I’m creating, I feel like that’s my zone, my freedom… ”
“Motherhood kind of forced me to look for an outlet of some kind and take my art more seriously. When I’m creating, I feel like that’s my zone, my freedom almost,” says Pi.
The convenience of working in a medium that doesn’t require hours of prep or clean-up was a bonus. “With textiles, I can easily put my artwork down and change a nappy or put the baby to sleep and come back to where I left off,” says Pi. “Being able to work from home and doing something I love in the snippets of time that I have in and around the kids is perfect.”
Moving away from the hustle of city life in Sydney during the beginning of Covid, Pi and husband Jonathan spent time in the Blue Mountains and the south coastal town of Culburra, before settling on the NSW’s Central Coast. “We fell in love with being close to the beach and the natural world influences my art in so many ways,” says Pi. “I get a lot of inspiration from hiking in the nearby Bouddi National Park with my family where I take photos of native flowers or collect interesting leaves. When we go to the beach, I always look for washed up coral and shells and these definitely play a part in my works.”
Pi’s process of creation is organic and fluid, preferring to gather inspiration from nature, sketch and paint ideas but ultimately, not plan out her textile pieces too much. “I don’t pre-draw ideas on my linen canvases, I just kind of let the work guide me,” says Pi.
“I get a lot of inspiration from hiking in the nearby Bouddi National Park with my family.”
Her art evolves and grows as she works, sometimes starting with a selection of coloured wool chosen from her ever-growing range of hand dyed collection or after an idea is ignited from seeing an interesting pattern on a shell or texture of a leaf. “The fun part is that working this way allows me to experiment and not be confined by a certain idea so I might start a certain way then go for a walk and come back and try something new.”
Since embracing the role of full-time artist, Pi pushed her own boundaries and began teaching workshops as a way of inspiring and sharing her love of textiles with others. “During Covid lockdowns I started running a series of online workshops when I thought people might like to connect with others who enjoy similar things,” says Pi.
“I do them live so people can feel that sense of community and ask questions about the process along the way. It’s been amazing having students from across the world, some interested in craft, some who have done knitting or cross stitch before and some who just want to try something completely new!”
Since embracing the role of full-time artist, Pi pushed her own boundaries and began teaching workshops as a way of inspiring and sharing her love of textiles with others.
Now, Pi also runs in person workshops on the Central Coast. “I just love that I can help people try something different! A lot of people look at punch needle and feel daunted, but I guess because my work is contemporary and has a playful element, this inspires others to give it a try,” says Pi.
“Four months after I started posting my work on Instagram, online gallery Blue Thumb asked to represent me, and when I entered their art prize, I became a finalist in my first year,” remembers Pi. The internet has helped Pi launch her artistic career and find a legion of loyal fans, some of which have been following her journey with textiles from the beginning. “Social media has played a huge role in getting my work out there,” says Pi.
She was selected in this prestigious category for the next two years, as well as named as a finalist in the Art to Art Unearth Art Prize in 2022. Pi says the recognition for her artworks is humbling. “I can clearly remember selling my first textile piece; a large reef inspired work – to a lady that discovered me online. To get commissions from people in America and to workshop students from across the world who have found me on Instagram or through my videos on Pinterest or YouTube is amazing.”
Pi appreciates the power of art to heal people and bring a sense of joy, so when she was approached by Claire Rackley from Healing Ceilings, Pi immediately jumped on board her project. “When Claire had brain surgery a few years back she came up with the idea of having artworks on the ceilings inside hospitals and clinics to try and brighten these sterile places where people are confined for a long time while receiving treatment. I completely agree with her philosophy that art can bring happiness and has the capacity to make people feel calm or relaxed so I’m glad to be a part of Healing Ceilings as it’s a beautiful concept.”
“Life with three little boys can be loud and demanding but I also want to create!”
With a number of commissions in the works, plus sales from her website and other online galleries, life is only getting busier for Pi. “Life with three little boys can be loud and demanding but I also want to create! Carving out time for myself to make things and experiment with my art is just as important for me as it is for them.” Treasuring precious memories of time spent playing with clay or wool with her children is important to Pi and she appreciates how normal it is for them to see her making things. “They watch me and want to try the punch needle too. It’s so nice that they are curious, and we can be together creating art.”
With plans for a solo exhibition, more face to face and online workshops and extending herself as an artist by incorporating different mediums into her textile works, Pi is excited for the future. “Being an artist isn’t like work for me,” says Pi. “It brings me peace and I just really love doing what I do.”
Words: Odette Tonkin | Photography: Dominique Cherry
As seen in Swell Issue 17.
