I can recall my grandmother, Lucille sitting at the kitchen table by the woodstove and with a small lamp she would have before her numerous bowls of vibrantly colored beads. I believe I was about 10 or 11 years old. As I watched her create beautiful floral and geometric designs, she decided to allow me to try the art of beading. My first work of art was lumpy and lopsided, yet she encouraged me to keep trying.
My work is in honor of her belief in me and her patience in teaching me the various techniques and stories associated with traditional Nez Perce beadwork. These stories recorded in my works of art tell of our People's survival and our culture as it relates to the animals, plants and spiritual beliefs that sustain us and which we hold dear.
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