When I was a little girl, my beloved grandmother taught me to use a needle and thread. From then on, and at various times, I did different types of “needle work”. But it was as an adult studying medieval art and history that the seeds were sown for what would later become my art, I began to think about combining my agility with a needle and thread with my studies.

As a grown woman, I progressed from needlework to fine craft, drawing my greatest inspirations from representations of figures in Medieval European frescoes and mosaics, from Columbian Basin petroglyphs and pictographs, and from the natural world.

Over twenty years ago I began making my art by simply sewing beads and sequins onto fabric. This rudimentary beginning in beadwork has evolved into what I believe is a true art form, though still composed primarily of beads and sequins. My work has become far more complex by creating densely beaded artworks that can take many months to create.

People who see my work for the first time often say to me, “You must have a lot of patience.” I always have to suppress a grin when I hear this because I am not at all patient. What the viewer may mistake for patience is only the result of my concentrating on sequential small areas over an extended period of time. After focusing intently on a small, highly defined space for many days, I lose sight of the world around me. Patience is not a factor. For me, the experience is more like meditating.

My goal as an artist is to create works that I am completely satisfied with, and to heed the urge to create.

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Coincidentally, the word “bead” comes from the ancient word for prayer. And the name “Rebecca” is Hebrew for knotted cord.