STUCK IN REVERSE

Garden Gate making changes

Creating is a journey. Rug hooking is a process. The goal is to eventually have a finished piece, but it's not always a straight shot from point A to point B. When I design a rug, I have an idea for my color plan. I make changes along the way, modifying my colors or motifs as I go, and in the end I am pleased with what I have created. Now, on occasion, I have finished a piece, stepped back, looked at it, and been surprised that somehow the piece isn't flowing like I had planned. My eye is getting stuck on one or two spots. Maybe the center isn't connecting with the border or edges. Somehow the motifs are not unified. This is exactly what happened with my current "in process" rug Garden Gate. When I designed this rug, I knew I wanted an amazing gray background, which I love. The structure of the design was good. It was everything in between that wasn't right. I was STUCK IN REVERSE.

All elements too close in value

Really, it's no surprise if it think back. The workshop that I designed this rug for last fall got cancelled. I started hooking on another rug that I adore and it demanded more of my attention. I had two small pieces that I needed to design and hook to meet a deadline. I'm not trying to make excuses, rather I'm trying to understand that life happened. I was able to change a couple of things that did improve the feel. But still my heart and mind kept saying, "It's not quite right." Here I was, with a completed rug that seemed incomplete. I was STUCK IN REVERSE.

Motifs before the change

motifs after the change, the rug is coming alive!

In the past, when a rug wasn't right, I'd almost get anxiety about it. Now I have a different view and approach. I'll admit, it's not totally comfortable to not know just how to fix it, but I keep the faith that the "yes" moment will come. I step back for a few days and think about possible changes. I ask other rug hooking artists and friends what they think I could do to make it work. I like to hear everyone's viewpoints. Thank you friends for taking the time to give me good advice. It may not seem like I do as you suggest, but your ideas help push me into insights I would not have had on my own or they solidify the ideas that I thought might work also.

Changing value and intensity in some areas

There was a time when I equated seeking advice about my work to meaning I must not be very good at what I do. Now, I understand that when I have a rug that isn't flowing, when the color or design isn't quite right, that is when I learn the most as an artist. So as I type this, I'm excited to do some "reverse hooking" in order to move forward! Stay tuned! The Garden Gate rug will be truly completed, soon!

Ah, possibilities!