The Times Advocate, 2008-11-12, Page 1212
Times -Advocate
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Armstrong pursues artistic expression in rug hooking
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
ZURICH Patti Armstrong
refused to let an illness stand in
the way of her ability to express
herself artistically.
The Zurich resident and vo-
cational counsellor at Commu-
nity Living South Huron found
herself seven years ago unable to
stand at an easel or hold a paint
brush after she was struck with
a neurological disorder. Arm-
strong, who had painted all her
life and had artistic parents, was
then introduced by an aunt to
the art of rug hooking.
Seven years later, rug hooking
has become an admitted obses-
sion in Armstrong s life and her
work is now being exhibited at
the Co-op Gallery, located in
the basement of Elizabeth s Art
Gallery in Goderich. Armstrong
Inspiration Above is
Armstrongs The Healing
Horse, which shows her Aunt
Patsy, the woman who intro-
duced her to rug hooking, with
a horse she bought after her
husband died.
hopes to eventually publish a
book of her ar
"It was a turning point artisti-
cally in my life," she says of the
first time she started hooking
rugs. Armstrong took to the craft
naturally and attributes that to
her painting background, which
she says helps her when she
hooks portraits.
An interesting sidebar to Arm-
strong s story is that she hooks
with recycled nylon stockings,
and over the years has stopped
thousands of nylons from going
to landfills. Rug hooking has tra-
ditionally used old clothing, but
with Armstrong s interest in the
environment and her allergy to
wool, she decided to use nylons.
Armstrong hooks everyday,
admitting, "My husband will
tell you I m obsessed." She has
hooked rugs both big and small,
including an 8 X 10 foot rug in her
front room that took 500 pairs of
pantyhose to make. Armstrong
hooked the rug in five months,
but adds with a laugh, "That s
hooking like a maniac."
The relationships with the
women in her life are a big in-
spiration for Armstrong. Among
her pieces of art are works on
her daughters, her mother and
the aunt who introduced her to
rug hooking. A portrait Arm-
strong did of her mother is tour-
ing across Canada as part of
an exhibit called "Memories of
My Mother." That piece will be
on tour until 2012 and was the
catalyst for Armstrong to create
works of the other women in her
life. She also plans to publish a
,
ters and Women That I Admire,"
which will include photographs
of her work, and stories of the
subjects, of which she hopes to
have 24.
Armstrong plans to have the
book published on Mother s
Day, 2012.
"It s going to happen. I m de-
termined," she says.
Eventually, Armstrong would
like to make a career of rug hook-
ing. She s now taking a course
to be a rug hooking teacher and
also belongs to Y2K Rug Bugs, a
hooking guild based in Holmes-
ville.
Armstrong said she has always
had a need to express herself ar-
tistically and when she could no
longer paint, rug hooking filled
a hole in her life.
"It just kind of fit all my inter-
ests," she says.
Armstrong has had her work in
many arts and crafts shows, but
her current show at the Co-op
Gallery in Goderich is a first for
her. Ten of Armstrong s works
are on display, including a cou-
ple of items for sale. Her show
runs all of November.
"It s a thrill," she says.
Armstrong has also been fea-
tured in a couple of American
rug hooking magazines, includ-
ing the Sept./Oct. issue of "Rug
Hooking" magazine and the
annual "Celebration of Hand -
hooked Rugs."
After seven years, Armstrong
says she feels her skills are im-
Local artist Zurich s Patti Armstrong, above, has a collec-
tion of her rug hooking work at Elizabeth s Art Gallery in
Goderich for the month of November.Above she stands before a
work called Butterfly Child, which depicts her youngest daugh-
ter,Amanda. (photos/Daniel Holm)
proving and she s growing as an "I 11 just keep pursuing it as an
artist. art form."
Players hit the ice for the Bill Batten tournament
Not giving up South Huron Atom Evan
Hayter tries to control a loose puck on Saturday
against North Middlesex during the annual Bill Bat-
ten tournament in South Huron.The Atoms made
it to the A final. The Pee Wees won the B trophy.
Far right: South Huron Bantam Mitch Vandergunst
battles for control after a faceoff against Listowel
at the South Huron Rec Centre. (photos/Pat Bolen)
Celebration South Hu-
ron Novice Jakob Partridge
celebrates after scoring
against Goderich Saturday
morning in Stephen.
k
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