About Lorna McMaster

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I started raising fibre sheep as a hobby in my early 30's because I grew up with a love of all handcraft of wool and wanted to grow my own art supplies. In my early 40's, I left my career as a teacher of the gifted and talented to pursue my dream of shepherding.  I spent the next 25 years training sheepdogs and breeding specialty wool for felting, specifically, the curly wool that has always made my felted work so unique.  I retired from shepherding in my 60's with a lifetime supply of beautiful curly wool and was finally able to devote more time and attention to my fibre art.

I became aware of the global seed crisis while attending an organic farmer's conference in 2013. Even though I had been a full-time organic farmer for decades, I was ignorant to the fact that from 1970 to 1980, the corporate consolidation of the global seed industry resulted in a 93% extinction of the varieties of open-pollinated food plants that still existed when I was a child.  

I was so disturbed by this fact that I became a dedicated seed grower, hoping to raise awareness about our declining right as humans to grow our own food and save our own seeds. .As patented GMOs and hybrids have come to dominate our food system, with 60% of the world's seeds owned by just four corporations, taking personal action in the name of preserving open pollinated seeds is more important than ever.

I've been writing for most of my life and have four other publishing credits besides Zoe and the Seed Garden,  including two curriculum guides, an instruction manual for training sheepdogs, and a children's picture book about grey seals.  

I thought writing a book to incorporate the science of seed saving into a story for children would be simple, but it wasn't.  In actuality, it was one of the most painstaking things I've ever written, and after months of work and several helpful editors, I am very proud of the story of Zoe and Auntie.  

I was delighted to win the 2025 Skipping Stones Magazine Honor Award for books for children about Nature and Ecology. 

 My work is influenced by the natural world around me and is inspired by the textures and colors of my home grown wool that often speaks for itself during my artistic process.

Working from my own reference photos  I choose themes based on images that speak to me and help me tell a greater story, such as the importance of seed saving, or the value of noticing migratory songbirds in your backyard.

My greatest accomplishment as a fibre artist was in 2024, when I was featured as the contemporary artist of the year at the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT.  My solo show, Stewarding a Seed Collection: Portraits in Wool, was seen by thousands of museum visitors.