Beaded Painting #3 by Deborah Raper

Acrylic and latex on stretched canvas with hand stitched glass seed beads, 24" x 20"

“As a child I learned how to use a needle quickly, learning about painting didn’t happen until much later. There were many women in my family who created magic with knitting needles, tapestry needles, and quilting needles. The skills with a needle were passed down to me through family members who learned the skills from the women before them, the traditional way women’s knowledge is passed down. Painting I learned in a more masculine way, through school, classes, and books. Using fine arts techniques learned in school, combined with craft techniques I learned at home, I look for a way to combine both these sets of skills. Artwork is evolving, changing and slowly maturing into a method of self-expression without gender boundries.”