ARTIST BIO

Shelly is a transplanted Maritimer who has been living in and learning about her Prairie home since she arrived in Regina in 2002. She first picked up a hook in 2015 while visiting her home province of PEI. While she is self taught, genetics may also be an influence as her paternal grandmother was also a rug hooker and hooked beautiful traditional rugs to keep their Island farmhouse floors warm.
Drawing on the traditional rug hooking technique from her Island heritage in a unique way, Shelly uses the texture and colours of natural fibres to explore this prairie landscape which has been so foreign to her. While the prairie landscape is a strong influence at this point in her art journey, any landscapes she finds herself in serve as creative inspiration and often souvenirs of time spent elsewhere.
In 2016, Shelly created Hooked on the Prairies, initially a social media handle to share her art with others and connect with other creatives. This has now evolved into active Facebook and Instagram profiles, an Etsy shop and website. Sharing the craft of rug hooking through teaching has been a rewarding part of her art journey. She has a deep belief that creating art through rug hooking has therapeutic benefits and that everyone can benefit from finding their own creative outlet.
Shelly is a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council and has had her work in solo and group shows in Saskatchewan and is proud to have sold her artwork to individuals all over North America. One of her first pieces was included in a book “Eyes Open to the World – memories of travel in wool”.