Maggie Meister began beading after “coveting” a
pair of earrings worn by her son’s teacher. When
she learned that the teacher had made them after taking a class,
Maggie signed up for a bead class at the Shepherdess and never looked
back. She spent the next four years in the Seattle area, studying
with the wonderful teachers at BEADS AND BEYOND in Bellevue, Washington
and then began teaching and working at the shop.
A move to Naples, Italy in 1998 changed her life forever and in
ways she never could have imagined. The rich, lively culture of
the Neapolitan people and the ancient mosaics, frescoes, and jewelry
designs from Pompeii and the Vesuvius area are a major source of
inspiration for her designs. In addition, she has studied at the
Mosaic Art School in Ravenna, Italy under Luciana Notturni and
learned the ancient traditional methods of creating mosaics. This
has added to her ability to create beadwork translated from the
designs of frescoes and mosaics seen on the floors and walls of
abbeys, monasteries and ruins. Sculptural reflections from the
images she loves are translated into jewelry using seed beads with
a variety of stitches.
Maggie has taught and continues to teach workshops nationally and internationally in Turkey, Germany and Italy. Her work has been shown in Milan and Naples and has been featured in BEADWORK Magazine, BEAD & BUTTON Magazine along with others. |
