Inspired by nostalgia and familiar childhood figures, Beckley artist Andre Wilson quickly leapt into an art form known as rug-tufting.
After realizing just how much a “smiley-face basketball rug” perfectly accented his room, Wilson said he started watching videos online and jumped right in.
“It was a learning process for sure,” Wilson said, “I enjoyed it more than any other hobby I had at the time and kept moving forward with it.”
Wilson said he starts by selecting an image and running it through a photo-editing app to get a better sense of what yarn colors he’ll need. He then projects the image onto a canvas and traces it, creating a strong outline. Then it’s time to tuft.
“Some people may think it ends there but even after that process, you have to put rug-backing on it, ” Wilson explained. “I shave and cut the rug down then depending on the details of the rug, you may have to do some overall carving.”
When it comes to deciding what concepts to build his rugs round, Wilson said he’s open and changeable.
“As far as my ideas, sometimes I’ll see an image and tweak it to my liking or create something completely original and piece it together in my own way,” Wilson said.
And rug-tufting isn’t Wilson’s only offering under his company “New Nothing”. He’s also passionate about reworking older, worn shoes and making them sparkle once again.
“‘New Nothing’ comes from the idea that nothing is really new and that everything is re-interpreted depending on each person,” Wilson said.
Follow Andre Wilson!
Instagram: @NewNothing_Dre
TikTok: New_Nothing_Rugs
Email: NewNothing304@gmail.com
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