Joanne Thomason
Traditional rug hooking
CAA instructor
CAA studio artist since 2012
"I love bright, clear colors, that’s what I find in the graphic designs on old brochures, advertising pamphlets, and sheet music illustrations."
Joanne Thomason is a rug hook artist creating unique designs in the traditional style, by pulling yarn loops through a heavy woven base similar to burlap. She first became interested in the art form in the early 1990s when she enrolled in a Decorah, Iowa workshop. There she learned proper techniques for creating hooked rugs and since that time, she has never looked back.
In developing a new art piece, Thomason creates an original pattern. She dyes wool by hand to achieve just the right color for her design. In addition to rugs, she also creates one-of-a-kind pillows and wall hangings. Her favorite holiday motifs are Halloween and Christmas. But she is equally drawn to early 20th century graphic styles, like the elegant women once seen in magazines, catalogs and advertising. Thomason prefers to work with bright colors and thin strands of wool on small weave canvas so she can add lots of detail to her scenes.
In the course of her art career, Thomason earned a McGown Teaching Certificate, McGown being a national organization dedicated to fostering the skills of rug hooking instructors. She taught classes in their workshops for a time as well. Along with being a CAA instructor, Thomason is joined weekly by local rug hooking enthusiasts so they can work together and share ideas.
Thomason’s dedication to art has earned her several honors like Best in Show in the Hooked Rug division of Fabric and Threads at the Iowa State Fair in 2016, and again in 2021. Thomason's designs have appeared in the pages of magazines like Rug Hooking and Celebrations. And she's been invited to display her work at Ohio's Sauder Village Living History Museum & Farm. Thomason is a member of the Association of Traditional Rug Hooking Artists (ATHA), Iowa Chapter. She currently lives in Newton where she enjoys antiquing and time with her grandchildren. At this time, a half dozen skilled hookers, work on their craft every Thursday for 4 hours at CAA.
