KEN LARSON - HEDDLE BEADWORK - BEADWORKERS WORTH KNOWING..

KEN LARSON
HEDDLE LOOM - MASTER BEADWORKER
A LIFETIME of LEARNING, TEACHING, and SHARING FREELY...

Ken Larson sharing a lifetimes's experience with students at a school demonstration of his heddle looms, beadwork, and patterns.The lower two panels are images of Stained Glass windows in the Chapel at the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. (click the image far right for a close-up)

Mr. Ken Larson, of Wisconsin, spent more than 30 years deeply involved in the craft of Heddle Loom Beadwork. Much of Ken's beadwork has been Scout related. Mr. Larson sold beading supplies, but never sold a single piece of finished beadwork, he says "That was not the Indian way!". Ken's hope was always to learn as much as he could and to pass that knowledge along to others.

Mr. Larson's interest in loom beading began long ago when he met 5 scouts who had been tutored by W. Ben Hunt (1888-1970) who began working just after WWI with a scout troop in Milwaukee. Ken also worked 9 years with John G. Lotter (1902-1994) of Chicago, who was instrumental in reviving heddle loom beading in the 1950s.

Mr. Larson has lost most of his vision now. Geri, his granddaughter, now creates the beadwork for him with designs he provides. He says, "She is getting good with the heddle loom and the colors".

Mr. Larson takes his patterns and inspiration from the world around him, and adapts patterns from other hand work crafts also.

Heddle loom beaded representations of the Chapel Windows on the Wind River Reservation

CLICK ANY IMAGE TO SEE LARGER or CLOSE-UP

Demonstration of Heddle Beading
at Boy Scouts Conference in Minnesota

School Demonstration display of Looms and Completed beadwork

School Demonstration display of Ken Larson's work,
Heddle looms and completed beadwork.

Heddle Beadwork Table Display at a School Event

Heddle beadwork display at a School Event.
Ken's subject matter is wide ranging including Native American themes,
Christian Symbols, Boy Scout related, Patriotic, or just Beautiful images.

Ken Larson at work on a Beading Heddle Loom

A Nice photo showing Ken Larson at work on a heddle loom.
Ken says he sometimes had 16 looms in progress at one time!
Plenty of detail here, click to see it closer in.

Display of Completed Heddle Beaded Pieces

Another display of Ken's completed heddle beadwork,
he would show the loooms and beadwork, then
follow up with written patterns and instructions.