b'words: Rachel Macdonaldcolourful people pictures: Juliet NicholasSolo by John Reynolds. Hugh Bannerman Rug-maker oored by great artThirty-somethingyearsago,Hughwasalow-countrythough, the more determined I was to make a really great shepherdone man, a stock saddle and a dog. That, in aKiwi rug.way, was his introduction to the wool industry, he says; a Between the industry knowledge he had garnered himself real grass roots start. and extensive brainstorming with Wool Research New As he looked for new challenges, he went from workingZealand, he assembled a short-list of the qualities that the land in Southland to learning his trade in a yarnmight go into such a product. He even came up with a dealership in Christchurch, sourcing specialist wools fromname for his new businessDilanaa synthesis of his chosen breeders. From here, his involvement in rugs wasdogs name, Di, and the Latin word for wool.a natural progression.Andthere,despitedollopsofdedication,theideaWe were ending up with a lot of redundant carpetalmost foundered.yarns, and I suppose I was looking for a way to make them useful, he explains. The thing is, carpetI got some design ideas together with the help of Woolsbres really dont translate across to rugsthey are two veryof New Zealand, and opened a showroom with a workshop different colour cultures. The more I thought about it,above. And nothing happened, he remembers. Then, 74 |'