Luncheon of the Boating Party

Dimensions: 27" x 20"
Materials: #3- to 6-cut hand-dyed and as-is wool on rug warp
Adapted from a painting by Renoir and hooked by Karen Whidden, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 2016. Photo by John Whidden.
Featured in: Celebration 27

"Time for another Renoir! This rug was perhaps my most demanding piece. I find hooking faces to be particularly challenging, so I figured that the best way to improve was to hook something with lots of faces and expressions. Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party was perfect. With the help of Diane Stoffel, I was able to succeed. I started by hooking all the hats and then worked on the faces. I did more reverse hooking than on any of my other rugs because I often felt that I didn't completely capture an expression or mood on their face. Persistence prevailed. I can now hear and see all the conversations of the people at this wonderful luncheon party. Hope I made Renoir proud."
- Karen Whidden, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018