"The Guardians" by Taryn Kail
100% Wool Rug Yarn, Wool Strips and Angora Rabbit Yarn on Primitive Linen Backing
"The Guardians" by Taryn Kail depicts three Great Pyrenees guardian dog laying in wild summer grass doing what they do best: Guarding their flock. The different sheep and goats in the background represent the many different breeds that produced the wool used in this piece as yarn or strips.
Notice that one of the floofy heroes is napping while the others are keeping an eye out.
This piece is my love letter to the tranquil nature of the gentle giants who blend into their flocks and guard their lives with devotion, cleverness, stubbornness, and love.
Auction To Benefit TGPR
Information is coming soon (Spring of 2026) about how you can bid on the original piece or a hand-embellished reproduction for the benefit of the Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue.
The Making Of "The Guardians" by Taryn Kail
Project and Process
Below are some progress shots of the making of "The Guardians." I started out with a pencil sketch and retraced the sketch with a Sharpie marker. I then scanned the marker tracing into Photoshop to combine smaller pages into a full composition. I used diluted acrylic paint to sketch the composition onto primitive linen with a paint brush and used this painting as my canvas for placement of wool strips and natural yarns made of local sheep, goat, alpaca and rabbit sourced from local fiber ranches and milled at The Sheepwalk Ranch and Fiber Mill in Bandera, Texas.
The Guardians was made with traditional rug hooking and punch needle rug hooking techniques. In the photo to the right you can see the Oxford Punch Needle, two traditional rug hooks, a skein of hand-dyed wool rug yarn (including but not limited to Navajo Churro) milled at The Sheepwalk Ranch in Bandera, Texas and beautiful white Angora Rabbit yarn by Rowdy Ranch in Bastrop, Texas.
I can assure you that several Guardian dogs were in some way responsible for the successful making of these yarns and wool strips.
that's when I met Hank
One thing leads to another ...
During the process of making this rug, I learned more about the Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue organization and enjoyed sharing updates on the piece with some friends (both old and new) who volunteer for them. Their crafty love and support soon had me hypnotized by love for this worthy and wonderful organization. When I finished the artwork, I thought that I may be done with these beautiful creatures for a little while and then I heard about Hank and he was soon in my home politely making my life brighter. This artwork literally manifested love into my life.
You may think that a gigantic animal is not exactly training wheels for a new and unexpected foster, but Hank turned out to be the most wonderful addition to my little furry family. He fit right in and stole my heart away. He was with me for almost a month before he found his forever home in northern Texas. I miss him but I know he's enjoying his new home and I'm so glad to have had this loving experience.
And now... DOUG
My Current Foster: Doug
Well, this is becoming a trend and I welcome it. Fostering for the Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue is a joy and support and love they have for these big fluffy angels is amazing.
Doug came to me from the New Braunfels area Humane Society. He was running out of time. He's now hanging out with me and my dogs in my studio, learning more about wool fiber art and rug making than he probably ever wanted to know. Crafters will appreciate how Doug is willing to nap for hours and hours while I art around all day. When it's break time, he always comes along to go for a short walk or just come over for some cuddles.
If you are interested in adopting Doug or another beautiful giant Great Pyrenees, you may apply at the Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue website.
He is about 3 years old. He loves hots dogs, sleeping and watching things. He gets along with my other dogs and is a joy to have around. He is a happy and confident dog who has a lot of love to give to fellow pets and people.