Local artist Valentina Devine hard at work in her Los Alamos studio. Courtesy photo
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Local artist Valentina Devine has done it all when it comes to fiber art: she has taught, hosted workshops, created costumes for the stage and has been featured in books. Now, as a permanent designer for SOHO Publishing in New York City, Devine’s work will be available on a consistent, large scale.
According to Devine, this is a major coup. SOHO Publishing is responsible for several magazines including VogueKnitting, KnitSimple as well as books through sixth&spring books. Its books feature artists’ patterns for crochet and knit and as one of the publishing company’s permanent designers, Devine will automatically have a spot in publications as well as know in advance what the theme for the newest book will be.
She added that having her work published is a great way, if not the best way, to expose the public to her work. Plus, Devine said, the money is good; she explained she receives royalties on her designs.
The next book, 60 Quick Crochet Projects for Beginners, will come out in November and feature two of Devine’s patterns. The books are available at https://www.sohopublishing.com/.
Devine said she has a long-term relationship with SOHO Publishing that goes back 25-30 years.
She added that she is one of many designers.
“Each designer has their own specialty, their own looks,” Devine said. “It’s like being a chef …”
Being unique is something Devine takes pleasure in. While knitting a top, for instance, Devine said she doesn’t like to follow the traditional method of perfectly fitted arm holes or circular necklines. Instead, she likes to use squares and rectangles.
“…(My) main interest in a garment is always the color,” Devine explained. “The color always comes first. Also, my garments are all simply shaped. By that I mean I only use squares or rectangles. I almost never use shapes such as rounded necklines … I concentrate on squares and rectangles. “
“I just like to use simple shapes,” she added. “I have a lot of garments in my studio. Also, I do free form. I use a lot of textures, a lot of colors. I am what you call an abstract designer.”
Devine, who was born in Russia and grew up in Germany, has been perfecting her art all her life.
“A lot of people will ask, ‘When did you start knitting?’ My answer is usually, ‘In the womb,’” she joked. “Because when I grew up, everybody knitted in Europe. You just did it. It was a different lifestyle. I honestly cannot remember my grandmother or my mother teaching me, but I have always done it.”
However, a world-renown fiber artist Kaffe Fassett was a major influence for Devine. She said she met him in a commune in upstate New York and through him, realized what a person can do with yarn.
“I was just blown away and it actually shaped my fiber world,” Devine said.
Another major influence is the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexanderia, Va. Devine said she is a lifetime member of the center, which has 350 artists. She explained artists can feed off each other.
Fiber art has taken Devine all over the world and doing many different things. She said she has taught, hosted workshops and even created costumes for the Broadway show, Cats, as well as costumes for the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C., which performs Shakespeare’s plays.
“I’ve practically done it all,” she said.
Locally, Devine hosts regular knitting sessions the second Saturday of every month at her studio. The group is called Devine Concept.
People can see Devine’s work around town, too. She has one piece, Bamboo, displayed in the Justice Center and second piece, Berlin, hanging at Mesa Public Library.
While Devine’s resume as an artist is pretty impressive, she said her biggest joy is teaching other artists to “be free and enjoy fiber art.”
“Make it your own, by choosing your textures, your own patterns, your own colors … make it your own! That is what I teach,” she said.
