Nick@Night

Dimensions: 26" x 21"
Materials: #3-cut hand-dyed wool on cotton linen
Designed and hooked by Donna Hrkman, Dayton, Ohio, 2016. Photo by Dan Hrkman.
Featured in: Celebration 27

"My oldest son lives in nearby downtown Dayton, Ohio. He's deep and smart and sensitive and handsome, and even though I vowed to never hook my sons' portraits, this happened. I wanted to include elements of his life as a city dweller, so I superimposed his image over the riverscape of downtown. I didn't just want him in front of the scene, I wanted him to be a part of it. So I hooked the cityscape into him.

The main city imagery runs just below his head, through his beard. I added big clouds in the background and put the crescent moon in. He's a night owl, so it had to be a night time setting. I also added the Big Dipper because the North Star is in it and provides guidance. On the other side of the sky is his birth sign, Gemini, as a constellation. The upper edge is finished as an irregular border, so Nick is above the city as well.

Nick loves the rug. He'll get to keep it when I'm done sharing it with students."
- Donna Hrkman, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018