Contemporary Tapestries by Stephen Knutson
Welcome to the world of Stephen Knutson, a fiber artist specializing in three-dimensional, hand-woven tapestries featuring abstract designs and natural scenes. This site includes a gallery of work and information about how to commission a custom tapestry.

About the Artist
Steve Knutson grew up in Northfield, Minnesota, where he graduated in 1967 from St. Olaf College with a liberal arts degree, majoring in art. He spent 1969 to 1971 living on the Costa Del Sol in Spain. Inspired by the colorful Spanish yarns he began experimenting with a quasi RYA RUG technique. While drawing and water coloring were his main interest in Spain, these dabblings on the beach were the seeds of what would become a career in fiber art in Palm Desert, California, beginning in 1973. Many of his tapestry wall coverings are in private homes in the country clubs of Ironwood, Desert Horizons, The Lakes, The Vintage, and PGA West. Stephen's tapestry wall murals can also be found in the clubhouses of Chaparral Oasis, Palm desert Green country Clubs as well as the Marriott Desert Springs timeshare clubhouse. Indian Canyon (the masthead piece at the top of this page), was commissioned by the Canyon Bank in Palm Springs. It measures 13 by 5 and one-half feet.

About the Technique
The tapestry is basically a big jigsaw puzzle with the various size pieces individually woven, then attached to its own backing, re-stitched with various colors. Cacti are also formed with individually woven pieces, formed into their shapes with the flower buds and needles added. The Bushes are yarn wrapped around a core of yarn and thin wire. Smaller rocks are made by sewing individually woven squares around Dacron. Once all the pieces are ready they are all sewn together on the large canvas backing. This method allows for large wall murals like the one at the top of the page, which has a width of over thirteen feet.