Billy the Bighorn

Dimensions: 52" x 30"
Materials: #6-cut hand-dyed wool on linen
Adapted from a photo by Steve Woodruff and designed and hooked by April D. DeConick, Houston, TX, 2018.
Featured in: Celebration 29

"The piece is hooked with fourteen different colors, each one dyed in 8 values, which makes 112 different wools. I selected the colors because they are a realistic match to the photo I used as my inspiration, but punched up with pinks and bright greens. My dyeing technique is a process I created called Palette Dyeing and published in my book The Wool Palette: A Rug Hookers Guide to Dyeing Your Own Color Palette of Wool (which is available for purchase on my website, www.redjackrugsstudio.com). I loved hooking the horns, especially the grooves and the end of the horn where you can see the wear and tear. It made me wonder how many fights he had and won. I imagine him to have been the king of his herd."
- April DeConick, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018