Noah's Ark: A Dream Come True

Noah's Ark, created by Mary Sheppard Burton and Leonard Feenan, completed in 2009.

In 2000, Mary Sheppard Burton, an accomplished rug hooker, teacher, designer, and author, had a great idea for a rug hooking project: a three-dimensional version of Noah's ark. Mary shared this idea with her granddaughter, Cathy Wysling, who used her computer training and mechanical drawing software to create drawings of the ark.
 
Years passed and the ark drawings remained on the shelf in Mary's studio. Then, in August 2005, Mary hired Leonard Feenan to help with repairs and remodeling at her farm. Mary recognized that Lenny had an unusual combination of talents and skills, and he was soon using his artistic talent to draw rug patterns for Mary. In 2006, Mary challenged Lenny to help her with the ark project. She presented him with the drawings and explained that she would need a three-dimensional frame in the shape of an ark. It had to be large and sturdy enough to be covered with all of the hooked animal pieces that Mary planned to place on it.

This article is from the March/April/May 2010 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.