Show & Tell: July - September 2018
The 150th Anniversary of Canada
Pont St Columban
Hooked by Dawna Matthew
This covered bridge was built in 1937 but unfortunately burned down in 1974. When the guild decided to have a theme for our 2017 biennial show I started thinking about which covered bridge in Quebec was the closest to my home, and I remembered that there used to be one in St Columban, which crossed the North River. “Les ponts couverts au Québec” has a section on their website titled “Ponts Disparus” and there I found all the information on the St Columban covered bridge. I also discovered an artist’s sketch of the bridge and contacted the owner who then put me in touch with the artist. I received permission from M. Guy Thibault to use his sketch for a rug. This rug was fun to work on as the original sketch was black and white. That allowed me to play with colour and I decided to make the season spring.
Pont Faubourg
Hooked By Dawna Matthew
I decided to use this covered bridge as my project for a class at Green Mountain Rug School in Montpelier, Vermont, in June 2017. The class was titled “A Painterly Approach to Depth and Colour” and given by Davey DeGraff. I had several photos of the bridge which I had taken on a camping trip to that area several years ago. My husband and I had climbed to a lookout over the town and discovered that the town, with the bridge, had been depicted on the 1954 Canadian 1000$ bill. It was only after a newer version of the bill, with a different illustration, that the people of L’Anse St Jean realized it was their village on the older currency.
Using my modern photos and the one from the 1000$ bill, I came up with a design for my project. It took several tries, using various shades of white, to get the bridge to stand out as the focal point of the rug but not overtake the landscape.
Pont Prud'homme
Hooked By Dawna Matthew
I always love seeing this little covered bridge in the Rouge-Valley on our drives going to Tremblant and area. I stopped one fall day and got some great photos and they eventually became the design for this rug.
This was my first covered bridge rug.
Show & Tell : Covered Bridges!
Dawna Matthew's Rugs
From the middle 1800’s to the middle 2000’s over 1000 to
1200 covered bridges were built in Quebec alone, and, of these, 82 were still
in existence in 2012. (Certain sources claim 100). These structures were
erected to facilitate the transport of timber across watercourses, replacing
the early primitive bridges made out of exposed wooden boards, which,
unprotected from the elements, were rotting quickly and were hazardous for the
users. Covering the bridge with a roof meant a longer lifespan for the bridge
and protection for the horses and
pedestrians. Over the years, many of these bridges were restored and are still
in use today for pedestrians and cyclists.
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| Pont St Columban - Hooked By Dawna Matthew |
Pont St Columban
Hooked by Dawna Matthew
This covered bridge was built in 1937 but unfortunately burned down in 1974. When the guild decided to have a theme for our 2017 biennial show I started thinking about which covered bridge in Quebec was the closest to my home, and I remembered that there used to be one in St Columban, which crossed the North River. “Les ponts couverts au Québec” has a section on their website titled “Ponts Disparus” and there I found all the information on the St Columban covered bridge. I also discovered an artist’s sketch of the bridge and contacted the owner who then put me in touch with the artist. I received permission from M. Guy Thibault to use his sketch for a rug. This rug was fun to work on as the original sketch was black and white. That allowed me to play with colour and I decided to make the season spring.
 |
| Pont Faubourg - Hooked by Dawna Matthew |
Pont Faubourg
Hooked By Dawna Matthew
I decided to use this covered bridge as my project for a class at Green Mountain Rug School in Montpelier, Vermont, in June 2017. The class was titled “A Painterly Approach to Depth and Colour” and given by Davey DeGraff. I had several photos of the bridge which I had taken on a camping trip to that area several years ago. My husband and I had climbed to a lookout over the town and discovered that the town, with the bridge, had been depicted on the 1954 Canadian 1000$ bill. It was only after a newer version of the bill, with a different illustration, that the people of L’Anse St Jean realized it was their village on the older currency.
Using my modern photos and the one from the 1000$ bill, I came up with a design for my project. It took several tries, using various shades of white, to get the bridge to stand out as the focal point of the rug but not overtake the landscape.
 |
| Pont Prud'homme - Hooked by Dawna Matthew |
Pont Prud'homme
Hooked By Dawna Matthew
I always love seeing this little covered bridge in the Rouge-Valley on our drives going to Tremblant and area. I stopped one fall day and got some great photos and they eventually became the design for this rug.
This was my first covered bridge rug.
