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Artist Statement
Rug hooking came to me when I was looking for another way to express my creative energy
On my first trip to Shelburne Museum, Vermont I fell in love with the hand hooked rugs in the rug gallery. I knew this art form was for me.
Intrigued, I set out to find more on the subject of rug hooking. After searching for hours in our local library, I found a small book that was published in the 1960's. I don't remember the title, but it talked about the traditions of rug hooking on L'Ile de L'Orleans, near Quebec City. With the help of this tiny book, I was able to figure out the basic techniques and I started my first project.
That was in 2003, I haven't stopped since.
Using the same basic techniques as the earlier rug makers, my rugs come to life. Hand hooking is a very slow process. The image is created by thousands of loops created with woolen fabric, cut into strips then hooked onto a burlap backing.
While many artists still use fabric from old clothing, I prefer using high quality new woolen cloth. I plan out my rugs, once the sketch is complete with colors, I hand dye all the fabric needed for the project. The strips are either torn or hand cut into 1/4" wide then hooked onto the chosen backing.
There are many challenges that come with this art form but I enjoy working around them to create a final product that is both beautiful and durable.
I have been fortunate to be self taught. This allows me the freedom from someone else's rules, gravitating away from the more primitive images to a more painting with wool approach. The art of rug hooking has become my medium of choice.
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