About Lorna McMaster

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I started raising fiber 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 early 60's with a lifetime supply of the most beautiful curly wool of my career, and was finally able to devote my skills and attention to transitioning my fiber art into fine art.

While attending an organic farmer's conference in 2013, I was unexpectedly awoken to the global seed crisis during a keynote address by Indian eco-activist Vandana Shiva. 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.  

This realization lit a fire under me, and as a result, I gave up my sheep, and 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 belonging to just four corporations, taking personal action in the name of preserving open pollinated seeds is more important than ever. 

 After saving seeds and giving workshops for many years, I began field testing varieties that would help children discover the magic of seeds, and based the story and illustrations for Zoe and the Seed Garden on those seed crops.  We continue to grow Auntie's Seed Garden on our 1/2 acre garden in St Stephen, NB.

I've been writing for most of my life.  I've published two curriculum guides, Nature Drawing: Developing the Art of Learning to See (2001) and Woolworks: Teaching Across the Curriculum with Fiber Art  (2007).   After moving to PEI, Canada, I spent so much time working with border collie handlers, that I wrote Dancing with Sheepdogs: A Beginner's Guide to Herding (2012) followed by a children's book Grey Seals Find a Winter Retreat, illustrated with my photographs taken one magical winter on PEI.

So, I thought writing a book for children that incorporated all of the science of seed saving into a story that children would actually read, would be easy.  Making fifteen felted wool paintings was easy compared to the words I had to painstakingly tease through to find Zoe's story.  

Zoe is the compilation of many children I have known over the years who carry the spark of joy when they discover their heart's passion.   I hope there is a little Auntie in all of us adults, for there is no greater gift then mentoring a child with a shared interest.

 My work is influenced by the natural world around me and is inspired by images from nature that move me. After decades of working with my own fiber, I often find that the textures and colors of my wool speak for themselves, and a painting unfolds as a reflection of my deep relationship with the source of my art materials, my sheep, and my passion for nature. 

Working off of reference photos from from my farm and the natural world around me, 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. I seek to inspire others to notice and preserve personal passion for the natural world. 

In 2024, I was honored to be chosen as the featured contemporary artist of the season by the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT. My collection of fifteen felted panels entitled Stewarding a Seed Collection was featured in the Dana Spencer Textile Gallery and was viewed and enjoyed  by thousands of visitors. It was one of the greatest times of my life.