Although Gene Shepherd did not start rug hooking until 1998, it’s been his only outside interest since that time. Described as a “self taught artist who hooks by ear,” Gene hooks, does commission work for individuals and museums, designs, dyes, develops tools, teaches and writes about rug hooking. His work has been featured many times in Rug Hooking Magazine, ATHA Newsletter and A Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs, XII, XIV & XV. Gene has been director of the Cambria Pines Rug Camp, Cambria, CA, since 2000.

In 2006, he became the Author/Editor of The Rug Hooker’s Bible, and wrote and appeared in Rug Hooking Magazine’s two volume DVD series, Rug Hooking At Home. The popularity of those DVDs convinced Gene that there was a widespread need for more instructional DVDs on all aspects related to the production of hooked and prodded rugs, leading him to self produce 4 other instructional DVDs in 2007, the same year he started making daily blog posts about all topics related to rug hooking at www.geneshepherd.com