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Nancy Eha - The Great Goddess : Child, Maiden, Mother, Crone
Category: Wall Hanging
For as long I can remember I have been enticed by anything created by hand and in awe of the inventiveness of it's creator. My heritage includes several ancestors who were compulsive creators, inventing and creating for the sheer pleasure of working with their hands.
After experimenting with numerous needle arts over a twenty-year period, I am most stimulated by beads. I am lured to the color and texture of beads, but even more by the infinite creative possibility beads provide. I am also stimulated by fabric art and combine fabric and beads into beaded art wall hangings (also known as contemporary quilting or art quilts). I strive to finish all my projects and so have only 2-3 in progress at anytime. When I get "burnt out" with a labor-intense piece and want to finish quickly, I have learned it is time to switch to working on another piece.
In addition to creating with beads I thoroughly enjoy teaching beadwork nationally. My goal for every student is to have a positive learning experience, and affirm and release his or her personal creativity. To quote Pablo Picasso I believe: Every child is born an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he (she) grows up. Our worst enemy which blocks the creative process is our inner voice (critic) which tells us why we can't be artists. Trust me, you don't need a studio, art degree, infinite time, more workshops, etc. to release your creativity. You only need to be a fearless explorer remembering that creativity is a process not a product, allow yourself time to experiment with techniques, and "talk back" to your inner critic with positive affirmations. I call these positive affirmations "beads of wisdom."
My book Off The Beadin' Path: Discovering Your Own Creative Trail of Bead Embellishment was written due to the requests of my students. It was the first beading book that deals with the creative process. It also contains an abundance of original discoveries I have made exploring with fabric and beads.
I was recently honored with the Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship to study with European quilting and surface embellishment teachers in Strasbourg France. This award is given to one U.S. quilting teacher bi-annually. My quilting niche is contemporary quilt art which uses beads as an important design element. I believe receiving this award establishes the future of beads in other art forms as well as beadwork on its own.
The Great Goddess: Child, Maiden, Mother, Crone 1999
Purchased by a collector (wishes to remain anonymous)
20" h x 8 " w x 1"d
Machine pieced cottons, hand beaded: brick stitch, and bead embroidery using mostly delica beads.
Among matriarchal agricultural based societies; the equating of the seasons with the stages of the human life cycle is universal. The life cycle is interpreted as a sequence of visual images as the Great Goddess changes from child to maiden, to mother, to crone.
This transformation is reflected in the four quarters of the agricultural year. The crops are sowed in the spring, grown in the summer, harvested in autumn, and allowed to lie fallow during the winter months.
Addition symbolism on this piece is as follows: triangle (vulva), fish (fertility), and spiral (life cycle).
To see my beadwork gallery, workshop schedule, course descriptions and shop for quality beading supplies visit my website: or you can email me at: ehaxx001.nospam@tc.umn.edu