I have always enjoyed working with my hands, be it drawing or creating things. Since my early childhood I have had a curiosity for unusual techniques, which led me to study art and design at school and college. It was during this time that I discovered the art of tufting. I initially embarked on tufting projects for pure pleasure and, in doing so, I realised that this textured technique stems from my passion for drawing. When faced with a blank canvas my ideas multiply and come to life through tufting.
Our work is principally inspired by our surroundings on St Barts with its beautiful landscape, flora and fauna. These simple things in our daily life are transformed into works of art. I often allow my mood and imagination to guide my pencil and express my feelings through my designs.
Firstly, I use my graphics tablet to sketch different designs, which we compare and contrast before making a final decision. Next is the canvas that is stretched tightly on a 2m2 frame. We use 100% acrylic wool, which is generally softer than natural fibres. Our wool crosses a broad spectrum of colours, allowing us to create one of a kind designs. A tufting gun stitches the woollen threads onto the canvas, which requires some dexterity and a lot of patience, as we have to frequently reload the gun.
We then use good quality glue that is spread over the back of the design to attach it to a support such as a non-slip material for rugs. Whilst wall-hangings can be mounted onto a wooden base or frame. And finally, good clippers and sharp scissors are used to level off the design or to create different reliefs.
Manon Gréaux was born and raised on the island where her family lives. She then did her studies in Bordeaux France, which is where she met Mikaël Chateauraynaud. His enthusiasm to travel and discover another culture, combined with her yearning to be closer to her family, precipitated their move to St Barts in 2023.
Manon and Mikaël work together sharing the tufting tasks. Manon is more involved in the creative side, whereas Mikaël manages their marketing on social media, as well as their accounts and all things technical.
