An Interview by: http://simplycherise.net/2012/01/friday-feature-artist-and-author-georgene-lockwood/
Tell me about yourself, your life, where you live and what it’s like.
My name is Georgene Lockwood. I’m a wife, mother and grandmother and live with my leather artist husband in Northern Arizona (paradise on earth if you ask me!). I’ve had a long career as a journalist, marketing writer and author, with 10 published books to my name on a variety of non-fiction topics. My latest is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beading Basics, which came out in October of 2011.
I think I became a writer because I’m curious about EVERYTHING, especially Nature. My husband and I enjoy animal tracking and hiking and I’m an avid gardener. Maybe that’s why I think I’ve found my niche in creating accessories using the French beaded flowers. I can bring Nature into my work every day!
How did you got started making your things and what do you love about them?
I got interested first in making jewelry back in the mid-1990s and took a simple wire working class. I went on to try other beading and jewelry-making techniques: off-loom and on-loom weaving, bead embroidery, bead crochet, metal work, working with resin, working with vintage images. That’s what led to my writing my books on beading. But a few years ago I discovered the French beaded flower technique, taught myself as much as I could from books, and then took some 3-day workshops from Donna DeAngelis-Dickt at Studio Baboo in Charlottesville, VA. Donna is a fabulous teacher and an author herself and her beaded flower designs are exquisite.
But it’s only been recently that I decided to try to adapt beaded flowers to bridal and special occasion accessories.