Arlene Tift was born in Montreal to artistic parents and was early on immersed in the world of Quebec artisans. After moving to Ontario, she learned to weave and created numerous tapestries. In the 1970s, her journey took her to Hong Kong, where she helped design and produce knitwear and outerwear, a practice she continued in Ireland, working with traditional Donegal tweeds. In the 1980s, Arlene relocated to New York, her passion for textiles led her to study Textile Technology at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she learned to work with knitting machines. In 2018, Arlene discovered rug hooking when she encountered hooked rugs on display at Northern Westchester Hospital. Captivated, she soon connected with the Hudson River Rug Hookers in Croton-on-Hudson, where Marilyn Bottjer introduced her to the fundamentals of the craft. This marked the beginning of a deep and fulfilling artistic journey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Arlene created many pieces and connected with a community of rug hookers online. She also expanded her skills by learning to dye her own wool from Lucy Richard, significantly broadening her palette. Arlene’s style is painterly, often inspired by photographs, which she interprets with her own creative adaptations. Many photographers have graciously allowed her to use their work as inspired references. Arlene finds great joy in playing with texture and color pushing traditional rug hooking into a fine art, a source of comfort and inspiration during difficult times. Rug hooking has deeply fulfilled her artistic nature, offering the meditative satisfaction of painting with wool and awakening a heightened awareness of the beauty that surrounds her.