Saturday, July 11, 2009

Capturing the moment

One of my favourite things to do is to hook rugs.
I love to design them, dye the wool and start painting with the fibre.  The obvious place to start is to figure out your subject matter.  The best way is when you see an image and just know you have to give it a voice.  This rug is taken from a photo that said so much to me. 
My husband Rob, our son and myself were up at Christina Lake. It was the place were Rob spent most of his summers with his grandfather. He has memories that most of us only read about in books.  Being able to take his own son up there was so special for him. On that day Rob was out in the lake while Josh and his buddies were jumping and diving off of the dock. The water was sparkling and the air resounded with choruses of, "Dad. Watch me do this!".  My friend Carol took this photo when Josh was in mid leap.  It was one of those perfect moments.  I knew I had to paint it with wool. In order to give it more meaning, I hooked Josh's swim shirt and shorts with a vest that had belonged to Rob's dad. Howard would wear that vest every Christmas.
I wanted to honour the generations that had all loved being up at the lake together.  Through the images and the materials I was able to represent, Arnold, Rob's granddad, Howard, Rob's father, Rob, and our son Josh.  This rug will always be able to communicate a special moment for us.  I wish you all creative moments that speak to what you hold dear.

2 comments:

  1. Found your blog from a post made by Gera Scott.

    Your Capturing the Moment is a masterpiece that is priceless. It will bring smiles to many faces and become a family heirloom. I love how you incorporated the material from the vest belonging to Rob's Dad.

    Look forward to seeing more of your work.
    Gail

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  2. Hi Gail,
    Thanks so much for the encouraging words. Creating a piece that had personal meaning can leave a question mark as to whether it will also speak to others. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I really appreciate you visiting from Gera's site. She is an amazing talent and a really nice person. She has a great vision for her work and I always enjoy seeing where she goes on her artistic journey.
    Thanks again,
    Deborah

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