The Beadful Life @ BeadFX: Getting to know...Pauline Peskoff

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Getting to know...Pauline Peskoff

The attendees at the recent Meet the Teacher event go to meet and see the beautiful projects by Pauline Peskoff - a brand new instructor with BeadFX. This week we get a chance to find out more about Pauline.

"I’ve been involved in visual arts all my life. In elementary school, I attended a school of fine arts in the afternoons. In high school, I took all the art classes offered (luckily there was a rich art program). After university, I channeled my creative energy into beading and haven’t let go of it since," explains Pauline. "When I was pregnant with my first child, I was only working part time and had some free time. Once, at a Christmas dinner I saw a simple seed bead necklace on a little girl from Ukraine and remembered that I used to make simple bracelets when I was little. Then I started researching how to make a necklace like the one on the girl. I got instantly hooked up, new projects followed and I haven't stopped."

"I’m completely self-taught from online and printed resources. I once took a class by Melissa Grakowsky at The Bead & Button Show, though that was mostly to learn how beading classes are carried out," says Pauline.

Pauline's ideas come from everywhere. "I’m usually inspired by imagery. This can come from anywhere: pictures online, things I see on a street, daydreaming. Other times, I’m inspired by a particular colour combination, for example, looking through a kaleidoscope toy," she says. "I usually construct most of the design in my mind. I would do my daily chores and my mind would be coming back to the new idea, adding details: what stitches I’m going to use, colours, beads etc. Once the idea is ‘cooked’ enough, I would draw a sketch or start working on it right away."

"I have a list of ideas in my phone, that’s one “notepad” that’s always with me. I also have sketchbooks in my studio where I draw them. Not everything is made and not everything ends up looking like the sketch I made," Pauline explains further. "The best part (about teaching) for me is creating and spreading positive energy. We all need it. Students receive positive emotions from the feeling that they have learned something and from satisfaction of creating with their own hands. I get my positive emotions from seeing that happen and from their gratitude."

Pauline's background? "I have a degree in Molecular Biology and I completed teacher’s college with full intentions to teach high school biology. Both my parents are PhDs in biology. I was a Teaching Assistant at University of Waterloo for three years and even won a Best TA award one year. I also lived in UK for a while with my two-year-old son at that time, teaching Science, Biology, and Art. Even though I am not a high school teacher anymore, I don’t feel like my degree was a waste and now I am able to apply my teaching background in a new way," she says. "I spend most of my time with my two kids. Hockey, soccer, playgroups, scouts, doing homework… all that jazz. I end up cooking a lot as my husband and I always have people over. I also play poker and I’m not too bad!"

Pauline's advice to other who create: "Try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Always be learning. Try new techniques, use colours or materials you never used before. Exercise your mind and creativity."

Upcoming classes with Pauline Peskoff: