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Artist profile: Nancy Peterson


Artist: Nancy Peterson
Location: The Poconos, Pennsylvania

Website & Blog:
Patterns of my designs
Beading Blog



Nancy, how do you describe your work?
I think that my first love of style of beading is beadweaving. I love to learn new stitches and then take them, create and explore new possibilities. There are some that I find myself coming back to, like the various forms of peyote.




What is your creative process like?
Having two sons, my creative process can be quite chaotic. I may have an idea for a piece but then I only get to work on it in small spurts between helping and taking care of them. Every now and then I will sit down and just bead while they are watching a show. Those are usually my longest spurts of beading. It is hard sometimes when I want to work on a larger project to break it down into the time slots that I have available. Of course when I get toward the end of the project, it is hard to remember to do the other things that I NEED to do, lol.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I don’t have any “formal” training in beadwork. I started by doing simple stringing and was hooked. I wanted to make a piece of jewelry for a friend who was getting married and decided that I should expand my repertoire of beading skills. I started to buy patterns and follow along. This built up a lot of the skills that I use now. A good friend, seeing some of the things that I dabbled with on my own, encouraged me to start to write up patterns for what I was doing. I guess the rest, as they say, is history.



Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
I love seed beads and Swarovski crystals. Give me a bunch with a needle and thread and I am ready to go.

What inspires you to create?
Other bead artists inspire me. I like to take in what someone else has done and explore their process of putting things together. It helps me to learn new skills and pick up little “tricks” that help make the process easier.



What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
My advice is to just keep at it. Don’t be afraid to learn something new. Life is all about learning and adapting and incorporating. Use what you know, add to it and share it!

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I would have to say my family. We have two upper elementary age boys and they keep me on my toes. My youngest son is very interested in my beadwork. He likes to help pick colors and often likes to sit down and bead himself.


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