I designed this rug around the compass, a motif that has special meaning for me, and the Tolkien quotation which I have always loved. Both seemed appropriate for a rug hooked for a much loved grandson embarking on adulthood. It’s the 2nd of 5 planned rugs — one for each of my grandsons. The first is Kai’s Jack (Celebrations XXV), the third is Galen’s Murphy, also in this exhibition. Two to go! On a technical note, hooking a big circle is challenging for a perfectionist; this is my second & I’m going to steer clear for a while. No advance color planning, each border just grew spontaneously.
About the Artist:
I’ve been hooking since 2002. I’ve always found it to be immensely relaxing and gratifying, but in 2020 it has saved my sanity. I think people would say that my rugs are generally characterized by a love of color and a penchant for symmetry which I am trying to relax.
I was inspired to begin hooking by a life-long love of textile arts, a fondness for antique rugs and a desire to find like minded folks in a new community. I was lucky to encounter a McGown Guild of welcoming women who taught me the basics and, although their style was not mine, the foundations they provided have kept me going happily for 18 years.
I feel inspired by every rug or mat I see in some way. My goal is always to make rugs that are distinctly contemporary but rest upon the traditions of the past. The hooking artists I’ve been admiring most recently are Anne Cox and Liz Alpert Fay, whose work is inspiringly original, imaginative, smart, abstract and beautiful.
I like to hook words into my rugs, and the time we are living in has compelled me to speak out. Most recently I’ve hooked NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED and NO JUSTICE NO PEACE. I’m currently working on SAY THEIR NAMES, and noodling around with various ideas to commemorate lives lost to Covid.