Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Gabriel, Newburyport Weathervane Hooked Rug Angel

Cynthia Norwood has hooked my rug design Newburyport.  I am thrilled to see her color choices and great feeling of movement and life in the rug. The wonderful Weathervane spun and flew for many years in Newburyport, Massachusetts.  The original old silhouette angel which was made in 1840 by Gould and Hazlett of Charlestown, MA, for the Universalist Church, was later mounted on the People's Methodist Church. This Gabriel had its portrait painted in 1937 by Lucille Chabot, under the auspices of the WPA Federal Art Project for the Index of American Design. Then, over a century later, the US Postal Service chose that artwork for their popular 1965 Christmas stamp.  The vane now has a beautiful worn patina which translates to the lovely surface on Cynthia's rug, just as I hoped it might, and I especially like her treatment of the open book.

In Cynthia's own words:

Newburyport was a fun rug to hook as a fundraiser for the 2015 ATHA Biennial to be held in San Antonio in September. The design lends itself to the use of multiple fabrics in each field or area. The funds raised help offset the expenses of hosting the rug hooking event in our region. The event is held every two years in a different section of the United States and that area is responsible for making sure the event comes out in the black ink. So we have fundraisers.
If you are interested in making a donation for a chance on this rug, contact Cynthia at canorw@aol.com for more information.