My rugs are in private and public collections, including: The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Canadian Museum of History and The Rooms. I work to make rugs that are unmistakably art and add beauty to the world around me. I have written six books and most days you can find me hooking rugs in my studio in downtown, Amherst, Nova Scotia.

Rug hooking is full of possibilities. It has changed my life, and been a powerful force in changing the lives of the people I have met through it over these twenty five years. It has made me who I am. I started out as a therapist, thinking that was how I would spend my life helping people, but rug hooking found me and helped me find myself.

Three Moose and the Seven Sisters 6ft x 4ft

I am the youngest of seven sisters, one of the loveliest things. All my life I have had these older women to watch and grow with. A kind of guiding supportive force in my life. I grew up in Newfoundland with the sea on one side of our house and deep woods on the other. On weekends I often went out on the bog with my father to fish. Moose are a symbol to me of that childhood, the cultural strength of growing up on a hard rock Island. The people I grew up around were interesting and resilient. I carry their stories in my work through symbolism like the moose.

Pictured above: Queen Anne's Lace and Marsh 19.5" x 15"

Pictured right: Velvet on the Marsh 11" x 14.5"

Pictured left: Coyote Coming Home 23" x 28"

Pictured Right: Moose in Spruce & Pines 32" x 32"

Pictured above: Protecting the Young

Pictured Right: Foxes of Change

Buckwheat shoot 32" x 24"

Seven Sister Trees

TINY LANDSCAPES

I often create these small 8" by 8" rugs in a series. They can easily stand alone as they are little studies or sketches of the landscape around me. There is beauty in the simplest things and these rugs capturing small moments I see on a walk or a view that inspires me.

Great for the dog park!!

"My two young labs absolutely love this toy. They are rough on toys, so we have to work with them on not trying to destroy a toy the moment it is given to them.

This "flying squirrel" immediately became and continues to be a high value toy, so it is put up and out of the way when not being played with. Lightweight and flexible, but even so, the toy is really durable.”

FIELD RUGS

These rugs come from observation and from walking. I remember the first time I saw a field come to life as a rug. I was walking along the road side and looking at the brush and scrub on the side of the road and suddenly I could see it in fleece and wool. The textures of the roadside and the textures of the wool belonged together. I am drawn to make these rugs, to blend the colours, to recreate the flora and the fauna. They are like a place I go to surround myself with beauty.

Wild Roses Roam 47.5" x 45"

Phlox and Berries 1 / 16" x 16"

Phlox and Berries 2 / 16" x 16"

Blueberry Fields on Canaan Mountain 1 / 16" x 16"

Blueberry Fields on Canaan Mountain 2 / 16" x 16"

The Golden Season 42" x 48"

Queen Anne's Lace 24" x 24"

Where The Orchard Blooms 24" x 24"

Bella Garden 1 / 24" x 24"

Bella Garden 2 / 24" x 24"

Golden Trees

ABSTRACTS

Often inspired by the landscape, these abstracts remind me that colour is enough, texture is enough, beauty is enough. Together they are more than enough to create good rugs. I enjoy letting the wool lead me to the imagery instead of me directing it. I like the subtleties that come with hooking in the abstract.

Red Abstract

Sea Coast Abstract 1

Sea Level

Sea Coast Abstract 2

Red Island

NEUTRALS

I have a great love of colour, and cream and grey, and black and beige are every bit as much of a colour as red or blue or green. I find neutrals soothing and interesting. The subtle tones are rich and interesting and lead me home.