About me.

I grew up in Midcoast Maine. Being part of a small family, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My French-Canadian grandmother, or “memere,” was an avid rug hooker, particularly during Maine’s long, cold winters. My grandmother hooked primitive rugs using only strips of wool cloth and strongly believed that all rugs should be used as rugs, not hung on walls as pieces of art. As a young girl I appreciated my grandmother’s rugs but never had an interest in learning myself. In fact, when I was around ten years old, my grandmother bought me a frame and hook and tried to teach me, but I wasn’t interested. It wasn't until later in life that I would develop a keen interest in the visual arts, especially fiber art.

For a college photography assignment, I had to shoot a set of thematic photos. I decided to take close-ups of my family members’ hands doing the types of things I always thought of them doing, like typing at the computer or reading a book. One of these photos was a close-up of my grandmother’s hands hooking a rug. Unfortunately, at that time, my grandmother was starting to experience the first signs of Alzheimer’s and couldn’t remember what to do, so I had to help position her hands appropriately.

Six years later, in 2014, my grandmother passed away. Shortly thereafter, my mother and I decided to honor my grandmother’s memory by taking a rug hooking class. I was—pun intended--hooked. I started slowly, doing one project a year in a traditional or primitive style using only wool strips. I hooked pillows and rugs for the floor. In 2018, when my parents decided to sell our family home, a beautifully restored 1787 Federal Style, I hooked an image of the house to remember it by.

My style and technique has changed as I’ve grown more comfortable with the craft. I began incorporating more materials and took on a more contemporary style. Today I spend almost all of my free time hooking. One of my biggest regrets is not learning how to hook from my grandmother. Today, I only hook with my grandmother’s hook. I think about my “memere” often and hope I am making her proud.

In 2021, I was awarded the Springboard Artist Grant from the Maine Arts Commission. I live in Belfast with my husband, Ryan, and yellow lab, Nixie. When I’m not hooking rugs, I work for an environmental nonprofit and volunteer for the IgA Nephropathy Foundation.