![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/in-house\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/25133719\/SOHODH-rugs-1-80x94.jpg\")
DIFFUSE by Dan Quintana (8\u20199\u201d x 8\u20199\u201d)<\/strong>
First and foremost, Dan is an amazing painter. He has achieved at his relatively young age, a voice and touch of an Old World master. Dan\u2019s work is classic in style and contemporary in theme. For Diffuse<\/em>, the challenge of weaving, knot-by-knot, a photo realistic face has not been, at least to my understanding,
executed before. The way the wools are dyed prior to weaving, posed a challenge as the hue in the art rug\u2019s face and surrounding areas, composing of creams, off-whites, taupes, and beiges were very difficult to decipher and differentiate during the weaving process. Unlike other handwoven rugs of this size, which take about four months to weave, Diffuse<\/em> took seven months. Diffuse is a bold rug with a highly stylized presence. Like most of my rugs, Diffuse<\/em> is for a progressive art lover. The value of the very rare Diffuse<\/em> rug goes up over time as Dan Quintana\u2019s pedigree continues to climb. You will not see another rug like Diffuse, especially pre-dating our work.<\/p>\r\n
FEAR AND LOATHING by Jim Mahfood (9\u2019x6\u2019)<\/strong> FLOWER POWER by Katsuya Sugimoto (9\u2019x7\u2019)<\/strong>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/in-house\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/25133726\/audrey-80x107.jpg\")
AUDREY by Tristan Eaton (9\u2019x6\u2019)<\/strong>
In the last few years this image of Audrey Hepburn by Tristan Eaton has become iconic. My reason for including Audrey<\/em> on my list is partly due to the rug, but also, and maybe more so to do with the artist, Tristan Eaton. I am discerning in my selection of artists I collaborate with, and Tristan has been a meteor, climbing beyond the limits of comprehension, while remaining humble and grounded. If you are not familiar with any of the artists I mention, I urge you to look for their work, especially Tristan Eaton. Tristan has created a signature style that is impossible to mistake. His ability to work on large scale murals and manageable canvases has proven his mastery of his skill. It is an honor to work with Tristan. It\u2019s a rarer privilege to own one of his body of works. Our Audrey<\/em> rug is unlike anything out in the marketplace. Not just in design, but in its affiliation to the artist. I half-jokingly say the artists I work with are the future Harings, Basquiats, Warhols. Urban contemporary luminaries of our day.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/in-house\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/25133733\/fear-80x116.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
I met Jim nearly 16 years ago in San Diego, long before I had the dream of making art rugs. Jim was an illustrator from Los Angeles that would do live paintings at the Honeybee Hive in San Diego maybe once or twice a year. I liked Jim\u2019s style of art and his willingness to support his friends\u2019 events. Nearly eight years after initially meeting Jim, I approached him to design an art rug with me. Jim produced a portrait of Hunter S. Thompson, in Johnny Depp\u2019s character in Fear and Loathing <\/em>in Las Vegas. This rug (like all of my rugs) is 100-percent handmade and limited in edition. What is very special about this rug was capturing the watercolor effect of the original art piece. This art rug holds a very dear place in my heart. It is a piece I want to share. If you know the story of Hunter S. Thompson and especially his life\u2019s end, you will see a very subtle but macabre reference. It is the little nuanced gestures that makes a piece art visceral and amazing. When I began collecting art many years ago, a gallerist in Montreal told me, \u201cif the art does not move you, do not buy it.\u201d\u00a0 Fear and Loathing <\/em>is evocative to say the least.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/in-house\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/25133742\/flower-power-80x102.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
When scouring the creative outlets for potential art rug collaborators, I stumbled on Katsuya Sugimoto\u2019s hyper-real artwork. Katsuya\u2019s ability to paint true-to-life objects is unparalleled by most urban contemporary artists. When I approached Katsuya\u2019s management for a collaboration, it was an exciting challenge for us because we tested and pushed our weaving limits and abilities. Honestly, there is not much else I want to say about Flower Power<\/em> and Katsuya other than he\u2019s an amazing artist, and we created a really cool rug! At first glance, Flower Power<\/em> looks so out of place and aged compared to our other rugs, as if it\u2019s from a late 1970\u2019s heirloom that no one wants ownership of. But on further inspection, there is a tongue-in-cheek element hidden in the weaves. This is definitely not your grandmother\u2019s rug. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/in-house\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/25133751\/st-george-80x115.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n