Why limit your fine art collection to the walls? It's a sentiment that artist, interior designer and art consultant, Faith Berger follows when creating fine art. She paints both large and small scale pieces using her own unique technique, blending modeling paste, graphite, acrylic, collage and more to create a thick, painted texture across her canvases. But she also takes these paintings and transforms them into statement rugs made from New Zealand wool.
"Area rugs are great, but when you think about it, they can also double as art on the floor," Berger explains. "With them, homeowners don't have to limit themselves just to their walls for displaying their art collection."
Her rugs are also versatile in terms of their size. Through her services, clients can select virtually any size rug they need for any room. Standard size rugs available through most big box stores typically only come in one of four sizes and might not fit perfectly in every room. "I love to do large scale pieces but can commission for any situation," Berger says.
Berger didn't start out as an artist, although she studied art in school. She applied her knowledge and interest into a successful art gallery she owned with her mom in Clayton. The gallery carried traditional wall art, along with glass, sculpture and bronze pieces by over 400 different artists, and in its prime, was deemed one of the top 100 art galleries in the country. From 2007 to present, Faith has served as an art consultant, curating art collections for both homes and offices. By 2022, feeling a desire to create her own art, she took the leap into painting.
With their vibrant colors and rich textures, her paintings sell year round, but winter is her busiest season for commissioned rugs. When temperatures drop outside, it becomes the ideal time for decking home floors with area rugs. Her wool rugs offer a sense of visual warmth, making rooms feel more inviting and comfortable, in addition to the material benefit of providing anti-slip surfaces for high-traffic walkways as guests and homeowners return home from jaunts out in the snow.
Area rugs also add texture, color and pat- tern-but Berger's rugs do this especially since they pull from her paintings that use her distinct layering technique. Even in her rugs her brushstrokes are discernible to the naked eye, much like in the work of her inspirations. While Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso were some of her favorite classical painters, the bulk of her signature style and technique has been inspired by the countless artists she encountered during her time at the Clayton gallery.
Thus, Berger believes that her textured area rugs provide a great complement to her textured wall art. "I always want my artwork to complement interior design and décor choices," she says, explaining that with her interior design background, she is familiar with many different styles and aesthetics.
Just like her paintings can transform into rugs, she doesn't limit how her work might benefit her clients or fellow creatives. She hopes her work can even complement any new work interior designers might be doing and can work alongside and support them."I can do everything from traditional to modern classical, but I prefer work that borders on contemporary and like to mix maximalism and minimalism looks." Berger, like her work, is uniquely flexible.
For more visit https://faithberger.com/
