Artist Statement

It began with crocuses. A stunning photo on my Facebook newsfeed by Jill Edinger Photography caught my eye, a profusion of crocuses. The vision started to take shape. Companion pieces. A pot of beaded crocuses and a framed photo.
The vision started to grow. Why not a whole collection? A collaborative exhibit? Jill agreed and we set out to bring you this unique collection of art photos and French beaded flowers.
I set out to bring the vibrant energy of Jill’s photos to my own creations. It was an exhilarating process. Using real flowers as models brings life to the beadwork.
In the end, we created a collection of everlasting flowers.

Artist Bio

Anita Hellman is a seed bead artist specializing in French beaded botanicals. A full Artist member of Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative (BDAC), her work is permanently on display in the gallery at 222 North Fourth Street in Bismarck. 
French beading is the art of sculpting with beads. Tiny seed beads are strung onto wire, shaped and assembled into flowers. The art became popular in the Victorian era when peasants supplemented their income by making flowers from discarded beads. They created elaborate flower arrangements, often fashioning them into large funerary wreaths (immortelles) which were hung on tombstones and mausoleum walls.
The art was reintroduced in the USA in the mid 1900s when a small group of bead designers published a series of books. Their works are now considered the “bibles” of modern French beaders.
Today many resources are available to the bead artist, but the best work is done using live plants and flowers, as well as photos of plants and flowers. The process is intense and time consuming but the results are beautiful.
Anita has been French beading for seven years. Her work has been exhibited in numerous art shows and in several North Dakota galleries.  She has many years experience creating intricate beadwoven jewelry as well as quilting and various fiber arts.

​Jill Edinger recently relocated to Bismarck from Carrington, ND, with her husband, Mark.  She is mom to two grown children, gramma to two, dog mom to two rescues and has owned and operated Sapphire Gallery and Custom Framing in Jamestown, Carrington, and now Bismarck. 
A nature lover, Jill’s passion for photography was ignited by the bald eagle migration a few years ago.  Taking pictures of them with her point and shoot camera proved to be a frustrating endeavor.  After purchasing her first DSLR camera, she was quickly inspired to further explore the prairies of east central North Dakota, as well as the beautiful North Dakota badlands and beyond, capturing the beauty along the way.  

Touring Schedule

Lake Region Heritage Center
February 1-28
MonDak Heritage Center 
June 4- August 30
Bismarck State College
October 13-November 21
The Arts Center
​December 18-January 24 2026