"Aetna"

Patricia Dreher

"After years of studying classical painting and art history, I spent time in Sweden and England learning and practicing textile design. The historic floor cloth in contemporary form brings together my skills as a painter, and my love of pattern, color, and design."

Patricia Dreher savors the challenge of creating a rug or wall-to-wall installation to enhance a specific space. Solving the problem of making a rug that brings together all the elements of a room is as exciting as making a piece around which all the elements of a room will center. Dreher often draws inspriation from art history, textile design, nature, or classical geometry. Color is a strong component in all her rugs.

Dreher's floor cloths are a great technical improvement over the historic oilcloth versions of yesteryear. Her rugs are made of strong canvas sized on both sides with gesso, and sanded to make a smoother surface. The rug is painted with the highest-quality artist's acrylics and the painted surface is sealed with several coats of high-grade, non-yellowing industrial finish. The backside also receives a coat of protective sealer. So durable are Dreher's rugs that several have been around for 20 years and are still in excellent shape today.