FEATURED ARTIST - PENNY D - THE FLIGHT OF THE STAIR RISERS

In June of 2010 I went to Trent school of rug hooking to join Anne Boissinot's open class. I had in my mind to design and hook thirteen risers for our staircase in the country. Our property is a fifty acre bush lot on a little lake in Eastern Ontario. It was my plan to design and hook each riser independently and then worry about the treads later. Each riser was to depict an event at the lake home which reflect funny and happy memories of our life in retirement here.

There were bears, cows, butterflies, trilliums, sumac, house and workshop, canoes, Queen Anne,s lace, frogs, mice, daffodils, turtles and birds, all to be hooked in 6 by 22 inch panels. I began to draw (not a talent) I am noted for, but with encouragement and boldness I created some lie,likenesses. I didn't really worry much because each one was such fun. I really didn't care if the observer knew the story, I did and then in the summer of 2011 they were finished!!

However, we weren't, finished. How to install them and what about the treads. The choices seemed endless, there was industrial rubber that I had seen at Karen Kaiser's house, there was tile that my husband Richard wanted, there was grit which would maintain the integrity of the pine that I had seen of my friend Christine's log house and there was carpeting of the wall to wall kind. at first the carpeting seemed the least attractive from the view of a wannabe Arts and Crafts perspective however as we puzzled and argued it became the choice. Then there was the colour.  Again another decision. Finally, I won with a light green. When the installer came I was still pondering how it would all work, but work it did and we are so pleased. All I have to say is it was fun and worth it. PEN