THE SCOUT GUIDE
AUGUSTO FINE RUGS + LORELLE RAU LANDSCAPE FOOTHILL COLLABORATION
At The Scout Guide we often talk about the importance of remaining curious, seeking inspiration and being open to discovery within our own community. For the past two years we’ve watched a collaboration rooted in this belief unfold between TSG Boise members Anna Augusto and Lorelle Rau.
Anna is the owner of Augusto Fine Rugs, a full service area rug design studio and showroom specializing in luxury carpets, rugs and custom specifications. With more than a decade of concentrated work in the area rug business, Anna works diligently to provide her clientele with rugs sourced from the most respected artisans across the globe.
Lorelle is a contemporary collage artist, who uses cut paper and appropriated imagery to investigate concepts of nature and place. In her landscape series, Lorelle expresses the transformative qualities of nature, particularly the rich contours and textures of the mountains. As an avid hiker and camper, the experience and rawness of the natural world has always been an integral part of her creative process.
Anna and Lorelle first met at the TSG Boise Volume 1 launch party in March of 2018. The concept of bridging Anna’s incredible eye and custom rug expertise with Lorelle’s artistic talent unfolded as they shared their mutual affinity for the landscape surrounding Boise. After a number of brainstorming sessions at Augusto Fine Rugs, Anna and Lorelle’s creative process fully took shape when they set out on a hiking adventure together.
They started out on the easily-accessible Ridge to Rivers Trail System, hiking Sweet Connie Trail off of Bogus Basin Road. Throughout the afternoon they trekked several miles, gathering inspiration and source material through photography. Back in the studio, the two of them assessed their photographs and determined which textures and compositions would translate best into a rug. Lorelle created multiple cut paper collages which she translated into a simple, black and white line drawing using Adobe Photoshop. Once the line drawing was in hand, they met back at Anna’s showroom and explored some of the rich fibers, textures, piles, and knots that were obtainable for the project. Next, they converted the drawing into a rug design software program, specifying every color and detail, considering fiber contents and knotting techniques in order to achieve the desired texture.
Final Rug Rendering shown with Landscape Collage
Once the final design was completed, Anna sent it off to be fabricated by skilled artisans at a weaving facility in Nepal. The final result is a stunning 4’ x 6’ work of art composed of sheep’s wool, undyed yak wool, and hemp.
Images of rug on the loom and final washing in Nepal
The finished product beautifully depicts the foothills and high desert landscape that frames our city. This piece will be on display and generously donated by Anna and Lorelle as an auction item at the 2020 Boise Art Museum Gala, held on March 7th.
Close-up rug details alongside Foothill Landscape
To learn more about Augusto Fine Rugs and Lorelle Rau, please visit their websites listed below.
– Jaclyn