I developed a passion for weaving in 1975 (though maybe the passion started when, as a child, I made potholders with stretchy loops). I was raising a child, and I treated myself to a Harrisville Designs loom. I learned the basics through the Craft Center at Stony Brook University and then individual instruction. I loved the feel of the materials, the back-and -forth motion of the shuttle, and the connection I felt with past and present weavers of cloth. I made pillows, ponchos, and wall hangings, some of which were displayed at galleries on Long Island.
In 1980, I made a career decision, and began graduate school in Social Work. Once I graduated (1982) I began work as a Clinical Social Worker and part/time therapist. Now a working mother, I packed up my loom and materials.
When I retired at age 55, I had the opportunity to take a class in tapestry weaving at the Fiber Arts Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Tamar Shader , an accomplished Israeli tapestry artist, taught me the basic skills. I was “hooked”. A year later, I took a class with Carol Russell, author of “The Tapestry Handbook”. These two artists taught me and inspired me. I began playing with wool and cotton and linen; I had found weaving, in a different way, and I wanted to make art.