I created the “Venice side canal” rug from a photograph I took while in Italy. It brings back fond memories of our adventures in Europe.
I hooked ‘Venice side canal’ in the trompe l’oeil style in hopes of creating the illusion of a three-dimensional scene. It was a very rewarding challenge and a great learning piece. Fellow fibre artists in the Facebook contemporary rug hooking group provided complimentary feedback such as: “It makes the viewer feel like they are part of the scene.”, “I was in Venice recently and you nailed it! “; “Gorgeous reflections pull you right down the canal.”; “The perspective is fantastic.”; “reflection, reflection, reflection….”.
For the building on the left end of the bridge, I used a textured brown wool that has flecks of black and orange and a few values of brown in it. This color variation hooked very much to look like bricks. I used this same fabric on the side of the bridge to simulate bricks there as well. To help pull your eye into the scene, I hooked the brown building directionally in rows, front to back.
When I hooked the red building at the back of the design, I intentionally hooked only partial windows on the left and right side of the facade. My intent was to create the illusion of this building sitting back from the others on each side and the canal wandering back around to the right and the left.
On the bottom of the buildings on the right I hooked directionally, left to right, to simulate layers of bricks. The upper portions were hooked randomly to create the illusion of a stucco surface with some veins/cracks in the stucco.
I used a few values of different hues to simulate shadows in the windows and the treads of all the stairs.
Last, but not least, I carefully assessed the positioning of portions of the scene to hook reflections in the water — the colors of the facade surfaces, the placement of the blue and white poles, the underside of the bridge. I hooked directionally, right to left, to convey ripples in the water and capture the reflections.
About the Artist
I started rug hooking around the 1980’s. I began hooking with yarn and preprinted designs. I was inspired one year to explore many other alternatives after visiting one of the Green Mountain guild’s rug shows. I transitioned into using fabrics and creating my own designs.
I have always been an avid supporter of upcycling used materials. My pen name is “wooley incarnations”. I give new life to used “ingredients”. I enjoy transforming things into aesthetically pleasing pieces of art.
I like to create unique designs that are fun and interesting. My design styles range from elegant to abstract to three dimensional to understated and whimsical. I always look for new shapes and textures to create something unique.
I conduct fibre art presentations and teach classes for hooked purses and footstools and specialty tuffets. I also sell hooked rug and art quilting patterns.
I incorporate wool and alternative fabrics and embellishments into my designs. I use a wide variety of mixed medium–woolen fabrics, velvetine, non-woolen glitz fabrics, specialty yarns, beads, feathers, roving, etc.
Several techniques are applied to my designs for texture and dimension–trompe l’oeil, waldoboro, proddy, shirring, stitchery, beading, pixelating, braiding, etc.
