Laurie McRae

Laurie is an oil painter and fibre artist. She love the challenge of painting a variety of subjects (landscapes, animal & people portraits, still life, etc.); whatever inspires her at the moment.

Her fibre work crosses the boundaries of fine art, textile design and craft. She “paints with wool and other textiles” creating highly textured animal portraits, bold and colourful landscapes, florals and abstracts. Her fibre paintings include hooked and needle felted pieces- many incorporating both techniques.

Each hooked painting is a creative journey of letting the textiles colour and texture dictate the final visual effects in my designs. Like her early forbearers who hooked rugs, she incorporate many recycled clothing and materials into my pieces, deconstructing and cutting them into strips either by hand or using a cloth strip cutter. Materials include everything from velvet ribbons, metallic threads, jerseys, silks, nylons, wool yarn, wool rovings and wool cloth strips. She works on fine linen backing employing different rug hooking styles; realistic and traditional, raised or sculpted (high pile that is cut) and directionally hooked in straight lines).

Originally from Toronto she has lived in Prince Edward County since 2002. Laurie has studied under several different artists and teachers. She painted at the Unionville Art Gallery and the renowned Fred Varley Art Gallery also located in Unionville, Ontario.