Meet Ashley Hawke, the fiber artist behind Hawke Design Shop!

Tell us a little about yourself!

I am a West Virginia transplant! I grew up in downstate Michigan, where I lived until I went off to college in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. I then lived in the UP for 8 years during my undergrad and grad school before my husband, Jason, and I moved to Morgantown for my job. I work full-time as a biomedical engineer and conduct research to try to reduce injuries of folks working manual labor jobs. So I actually have no formal training or really much of a background as an artist. Other than the occasional classes during middle school and high school, which I honestly wasn’t very good at because I am a horrible drawer. But I will say I have always been the creative type. Between weaving and doing various house renovations and trying my hand at interior design, I love to (attempt to) create visually appealing things!

What drew you to fiber art and weaving?

I was apparently the only person on the planet who experienced this, but in my 2nd grade art class, we did a weaving segment where we used straws to weave bookmarks. I immediately became obsessed with it and was making bookmarks every second of the day - I made probably hundreds of bookmarks (even ask my mom – they were all over our house). There was just something so soothing about concentrating on weaving. Then during the pandemic, I was working from home full-time and came across a weaver on Instagram and was shocked at how it was so different from what I was used to, but was also intrigued at how to create something so full of texture and 3D, so I ordered a loom and fiber pack off Etsy and the rest is history!

Soon after I started weaving again, I was on the phone with my grandma and come to find out her mom had a floor loom and made table runners, tea towels, and other goods to sell when my grandma was younger, so I guess it’s always been in my blood! I actually have one of the last pieces my great grandma was working on before she passed and am trying to figure out the best way to display it in my studio.

You recently updated your studio space! Can you tell us about it?

Absolutely! So when we first bought our house, the basement was unfinished – it was honestly like a little dungeon; just very dark, full of spider webs, a little spooky. Jason and I had always talked about how it would eventually be the perfect studio space for me because it was large, easy access to the garage and my power tools (at the time I was making wood signs), and kind of separated from the rest of the house so I wouldn’t get distracted while working my actual job or weaving.

It’s been a long, slow process, but we cleaned it up and redid it over time – we had our ceiling sprayed, we got it drywalled, we laid flooring, and eventually I moved my desk and fiber stash down here in May 2022. Since then, I’ve slowly added things to the space, like better fiber storage, a couch, a rug, finally putting art on the walls – things to make it cozier. Then over this past holiday break, I like, snapped and told myself I needed to do something to make the space feel ‘finished’. So, with the help of $15 peel and stick wallpaper, IKEA, and Facebook marketplace, I think I finally have the perfect (to me) studio space.

How would you describe your artistic style?

Unserious! I tell Jason this all the time. I like to pretend that I am one of the most unserious people there ever was – and if you’ve seen me goof around with anyone, especially Jason, you may agree! Or you may not, who knows. But outside of weaving, I am a biomedical engineer who is working on her PhD. My work is sometimes intense or just a lot, mentally, so weaving is how I relax my brain from all of the science and math.

There really is no rhyme or reason to the things that I make; there’s no theme or consistent style among my weavings (with the exception of some collections!) – everything that I make is often just what I’m feeling that day or week. Sometimes I like to think that my weavings will end up in a beautiful, boho, beige mansion, like something a celebrity would live in, and it would hang on the wall with all of these other extremely sophisticated artworks and be surround be marble and other expensive things. Then I remember when I named a bunch of weavings after Bob’s Burgers characters, so that ends that little fantasy.

What is your favorite thing you have ever made?

This is a tough one! Jason always makes fun of me because when people buy weavings at markets, I always tell them the weaving they bought is one of my favorites and he always says, “every single one can’t be your favorite!” But it’s true! I mean, every weaving has a teeny little part of me; I took time out of my day and spent energy to create them, so why wouldn’t I love them? I made a promise to myself when I started weaving again that I would never make something or sell something that I wouldn’t put in my own house and I’ve stood by that promise; in fact, weavings are sprinkled all over our house as décor!

But if I *had* to choose, I would say it’s a weaving I made on a thrifted gold frame (that’s actually hanging by our kitchen right this second). That was one of the first weavings I made where I really tried to get out of my comfort zone and make the entire thing full of texture and I just can’t bring myself to sell it!

How would you describe your creative process?

Same as my artistic style: very unserious! I know (and respect!) several artists who have some very intense creative processes that result in absolutely stunning art; I know others who have a more mild creative processes, but each beautiful creation still holds a deep meaning to the artist. However, mine is very much all over the place and there is not a ‘ritual’ that I do to weave – I just start doing it! I typically find a color palette that I like and then decide if I want to make a round weaving or weave on my loom, and then I just start going. Usually I’m watching TV or eating popcorn while I’m weaving, but that’s it! I may be in the minority, but I truly don’t believe that all art needs to hold a deep, serious meaning; that’s part of why I don’t like naming my pieces, aside from those after random characters.

What are you currently working on? What are you excited to create next?

Like I mentioned, I am currently working on my PhD, while also working a full-time job, and weaving in between, while also gearing up for market season! So right now I am weaving in my downtime just to try to create a little “inventory” by the time market season comes around and is in full swing! After I finally finish my degree, I’ll have a lot more time to try newer things and branch out a little bit, so I’m excited for that. I dabbled in punch needling last year and want to explore that more, so I think that will be what I try first!

Why do you enjoy hosting workshops?

I had several folks ask me for years to start teaching workshops because they wanted to learn how to weave, but I was always scared to do so because I kind of felt like a fraud? It was also a weird experience at first because I am by no means a professional, this is not my full-time job, I do not make a living from this, I don’t even know if the way I do some of these techniques is considered the correct way to do them – yet here I was, teaching other people??

Stephanie, from Hoot & Howl in Morgantown, finally helped me build up the courage to teach one and afterwards, I immediately fell in love with teaching others. Being able to see the joy on everyone’s faces as they were marveling at their creations, with lots of comments like, “I can’t believe I made this myself!”

For my workshops, I teach four techniques. The same four techniques every single time. And every single time, I am blown away by everyone’s interpretations of the techniques and how they choose to create their weaving. I have never seen two weavings look even remotely similar in all of the workshops I’ve done. So, it’s fascinating to me to 1) see people realize that weaving isn’t as intimidating as it may seem and 2) all the different ways that people can create something out of the same thing and the same fibers.

Why is it important to support independent artists and makers? ‘

Artists and makers of all types have so much to offer and bring so much joy into the world, but unfortunately are one of the first things folks ‘cut back on’ when times get tough. I don’t think people fully understand the ripple effect that stopping supporting artists and makers have on the world and on each other. In this current climate, supporting artists and makers directly supports our local economies and helps strengthen our communities, which we desperately need to rely on to survive.

I don’t know the number off of the top of my head (and this could be a far cry from the real numbers!), but something like 60% of a purchase from a small business is put back into its community, while only like 2% of a big business goes back into the community? With numbers like that, it seems like an easy choice, yet people consistently go back to big businesses for their needs even though they’re always yearning for the support, warmth, and customer service that small businesses provide. So why not just go directly to the artists and makers and support them?

Find Ashley’s colorful weavings - including wall hangings and coasters - in the shop!