Alan Tibbetts

‘Hooked on a Feeling’ is my first solo exhibit, which I would like to dedicate in memory of my high school art teacher and her husband, Olga and Edgar Fox.

I was drawn into the rug hooking world quite by accident. I met an old friend who invited me to a gathering of the Carnegie Rug Hookers one Friday morning. They were so welcoming and their enthusiasm was contagious. After a couple of visits, I was drawn into their world and the magic of rug hooking. Designing patterns to work on, sourcing materials in thrift shops, dyeing the wool, and working on a project became my new creative outlet.

The feel of the wool and the pulling of the loops through the woven backing is almost a meditative process. You become lost in your thoughts of the design, and the theme, or thinking of the friends you may be hooking the piece for. It can be soothing and relaxing but maybe frustrating at times if an area isn’t looking the way you imagined.

Just pull out your loops and begin again. Such is life.

This exhibit is a cross section of mats and hangings that I have designed and executed over the past thirteen years. They cover many topics and styles. Some are personal memories of loss, joy, reflection, and growth, while others are the stories of people I know during special moments in their lives. Others represent imagined worlds of loss and frustration along side beauty, hope and love. A gentle world.

Every loop pulled contributes to these stories and imaginings. My hope is that they can perhaps
inspire you and bring you joy.

Alan’s art teacher at the Halifax Grammar School inspired and encouraged him to explore different mediums. His preference at the time was oil painting, which he continued to pursue when he moved to Saint John in 1980.

In 1987 one of his paintings was selected for the first Marian McCain art show ‘100 New Brunswick Artists’, held at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. This encouraged him to continue painting.

Since his retirement from St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2012, he has focused on rug hooking after being “dared” to join the Carnegie Rug Hooking group. His first mat is on display in this exhibit (‘The Tree Behind St. Joseph’s’.)

Alan designs all his mats and dyes all his wool yardage with both natural and manufactured dyes. Over the years he has taken part in numerous workshops in both dyeing and hooking techniques.

He has exhibited in group shows at the SJAC, the Ax Gallery in Sussex, Sunbury Shores in Saint Andrews, as well as The Rug Hooking Museum of North America in Nova Scotia where he also has two pieces in their permanent collection. Works he has designed and help execute with The Carnegie Rug Hookers are in the permanent collections of the NB Museum (in conjunction with Les Hookeuses Du Bordelo of Moncton), and in the Barachois Historic Church. These were featured in two issues of the international publication Rug Hooking Magazine.

Alan is very appreciative of the warm welcome, support and encouragement of the rug
hooking community over the years.