Page 1 — Rev. 6/6/05

ug hooking is a textile art that has been around ever since the first voyagers from England arrived in America.  The rugs were originally made to cover and warm the wooden and earthen floors of the homes of the early settlers.  However, once the construction of their buildings improved, hooked rugs quickly advanced from the floor to the wall and they became an art form all on their own.

In 1999, I was very fortunate to make the acquaintance of a lady in northern California who is a rug hooker herself, and over the years, she created nine of the most wonderful hand hooked rugs based on nine selections from That Joyous Feeling Again series of my paintings.  Then in 2003, I commissioned her to create three new rugs from my Island Healing series and the quality of these is exceptional.

Each rug from That Joyous Feeling Again series has two versions—using my original painting as a model, the first is a highly collectible one-of-a-kind original rug which is extremely dense in thread count and intensely shaded with many varying colors to simulate the many degrees of shading in my painting.  Thereafter, all second edition rugs of that image are copies of the original rug, slightly less dense and less shaded, and while they are copies, each one is still unique because each one is also hand hooked.  Both versions of each rug are created from tufted acrylic yarn, and the rugs feel unbelievably soft, just as if they were made of thick, plush, virgin wool.

In response to the many requests that I received, the three new rugs from my Island Healing series are made from 100% virgin wool and they represent a significant step up in quality and collectability.  (The photo on the left is me with my Journey to Safety rug which you can see in full size by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.)  These rugs are even more vibrant and exquisitely shaded due to the quality of the fibers and the quantity of colors used to create the amazing detail in each of the images.  And it goes without saying that the feel of these finished rugs is incomparable in texture and softness.  At this point in time, there are only three one-of-a-kind original rugs in existence from my Island Healing series although I plan to release a limited quantity of second edition rugs in the near future.

The finishing of the original and second edition rugs varies slightly but unless you are a textile artist, the difference is negligible.  After the hooking is completed, the ends of the yarn are hand sheared to an even height, then hand sculpted to give the rug added dimension.  Next, on the original rugs, a see-through webbed mesh is applied to the reverse of the rug, and on the second edition rugs, a layer of rug backing is applied to the reverse.  Then they are finished in the same manner — the border of the original rug backing is turned over, folded with mitered corners, and glued for a perfect finish.  Finally, each rug is signed and dated by me which adds considerably to its value.

The rugs from That Joyous Feeling Again series measure approximately 21x27, and the rugs from the Island Healing series measure approximately 38x52.  The dimensions vary slightly from rug to rug since each one is hand hooked and unique.  They can certainly be used as an accent rug on the floor, but the size and design is sensational as collectible artwork (which is what these rugs really are) on a wall in your home.  The rugs are very unusual in that the finished piece has fibers only 1/4 of an inch long which give the rugs the feel and appearance of very dense, plush carpet but they are hand made, not machine made.  I've talked to several rug hookers and no one has ever seen any like these rugs before which is quite a testament to the talent and craftsmanship of the lady who makes them.

Click on the links below to browse through the photographs of these wonderful rugs. 

That Joyous Feeling Again Original Rugs
Flying King Fish  SOLD!
Friends Enjoying Friends  SOLD!
Me and My Friend  SOLD!
One Happy Angelic Dog  SOLD!
Queen Petruska Poktanova Pavlona  SOLD!
Something to Crow About  SOLD!
True Happiness by the Sea  SOLD!

That Joyous Feeling Again Second Edition Rugs
Gentle Happy Night
Me and My Friend
One Happy Angelic Dog
Tabatha Dreaming of Lunch

Island Healing Original Rugs
Journey to Safety
Magical Mermaid with Her Chickens
Together Again on Hanalei Bay

If you would like to purchase one of my original rugs, please contact me to obtain a price. The second edition rugs are available for $200.00 which includes shipping and handling. Either way, regardless of whether you purchase a first or second edition rug, I guarantee that it will become one of your favorite treasures!

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