Here is a biographical summary from the artist herself:

“Originally from Northwest Detroit, I moved with my family to the suburbs just in time to start junior high school. I was very lucky that my father was an advertising artist so I always had access to art supplies. I was also privileged to go to school at a time and place where art was considered important enough to be taught in public schools and there was money made available for it. My senior year in high school was spent mainly in the art room. The classes featuring 3-dimensional art were always my favorite, especially jewelry class. I envisioned myself becoming a jewelry designer when I got out of school.”

“I graduated in 1970 and got married that fall. Crafting had to fill my need for creativity and self-expression for a while. Stringing hippy beads, doing macrame, embroidery and knitting helped fill the gap. Soon, a part-time job at a fabric store unleashed the craft madness in me. Learning every new craft I could and hoarding all the supplies that were needed for them became an obsession. Too much exposure to fabric and craft supplies can be a dangerous thing.”

“Around 1987 I started to see these wonderful necklaces like little beaded bags with amazing pictures on them done in off-loom bead-weaving. The prices were way out of my price range so I despaired of ever owning one. Soon after that I bought a magazine on soft sculpture doll-making. In it was an article about a doll artist who made necklaces for her dolls similar to the ones I liked so well. In the article she gave instructions on the beading technique she used to make her necklaces. Long story short, from that article I taught myself brick stitch, the first in a long list of off-loom bead-weaving techniques. I was teaching others to bead before I ever took my first formal beading class. I taught beading classes at many of the bead shops and Joann Fabric stores down state.”

Courtesy Photo Lynne Freitag

“I met a woman that made handcrafted felt purses at one of the shops where I taught. Making felt intrigued me and I asked if she taught classes. She wasn’t at all interested in teaching me the process, so I bought books, searched the internet and once again I taught myself. After I started making felt, it wasn’t long before I was embellishing the felt with beads. Sometimes these pieces of felt became framed art and sometimes purses.”

“I had finally found my niche. Felting is a very organic process and there are many surprises along the way. Making a piece of felt then letting it evolve as I add beads makes my heart sing.”

“I now live on a small hobby farm in Herron, Michigan, raising Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats, making goat cheese and goats milk soap. I also have a few sheep and a llama that provide me with wool for felting. Isn’t it funny how one thing leads to another?”

The gallery will be participating in Harrisville’s Fall Festival this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to Richard’s Pharmacy, across East Main Street from Dragonfly Art Gallery.