At Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sisters Libby and Joanne Cooper are showcasing the remarkable work of two artists who specialize in intricate beadwork that transforms ordinary objects into extraordinary pieces of art. Linda Dolack and Lynne Sausele demonstrate how traditional crafts can be elevated to fine art through meticulous attention to detail and innovative artistic vision.

The Cooper sisters, daughters of art lovers from Newton, have operated Mobilia Gallery since 1978 with a simple philosophy: "We only show what we love." Their father regularly took them on studio visits because of his deep interest in art and artists, while their mother encouraged them with painting and various creative projects. Joanne attended art school and developed what her sister describes as "a very discerning eye" for masterful technique, which has been crucial to the gallery's success over the decades.

Linda Dolack works from her home studio in rural Wisconsin, surrounded by "lots of cows, lots of horses, a few people." As a mother who returned to art school as an adult, she found inspiration in her daily experiences. "I thought, what have I done all these years? And it was pushing a grocery cart for my family. That's our consumer culture," Dolack explained. This realization led her to create a full-size grocery cart as "a shrine to women," which she then decided needed some food items to complete the concept.

Dolack's beadwork is extraordinarily detailed, featuring between 120 to 220 beads per inch depending on the piece. Her process involves carefully removing original labels from packaging and then hand-beading them with meticulous precision. For a single Hershey's Kiss, she uses silver lamé and forms it around a small custom-made form, always including the little hang tag. "I paint in some details. I obliterate the nutrition content because there really isn't any," she said with a smile.

The artist deliberately focuses on comfort foods because they tend to evoke memories and happy feelings in viewers. She shared an amusing example: "My mother is obsessed with Mallomars. She hides them in the glove compartment of her car." For a Mobilia exhibition entitled "Made in Mass," Dolack created pieces featuring products local to Massachusetts, an idea presented to her by the Cooper sisters.

Fellow bead artist Lynne Sausele, who also works with Mobilia Gallery, describes the sisters as "great motivators" for the artists they represent. The Coopers approached Sausele with a challenging exhibition concept: "They were having a teapot show and they said, 'Lynn, we want you to make a teapot with beads.' And I'm like, 'Oh my God, I have no idea how do I do this?'"

Sausele, a graduate of the Museum School in Boston, lives and works in Gloucester with her husband, who is also an artist. Her artistic repertoire includes painting, mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, and beadwork on virtually any object she can find the right materials for. She sources objects from flea markets and online platforms like Amazon, always starting with a color scheme that makes her comfortable.

"I start just going. I don't make a plan. I only have a color way that makes me comfortable. And I always add black and white because I like the contrast," Sausele explained. Her creative process is intuitive rather than planned, relying on her artistic instincts and color sense to guide each piece.

Sausele's technique involves placing beads one at a time using an X-acto knife with a very sharp point, with Arlene's glue serving as "the key" to her process. One of her early pieces for Mobilia features Swarovski crystals at the bottom that move around, making it "really a piece to play with." Her wearable pieces have a special sparkle, with each bead being different and hand-sewn without glue.

The process of creating beaded jewelry is particularly painstaking. Sausele threads beads one by one, lining them up around the middle of the piece. Once the first row is complete, she begins the second row, building up layers of intricate beadwork. She finishes pieces with 14-karat gold-filled wire, creating loops so the beads can swing and move, adding dynamic movement to her creations.

With a twinkle in her eye, Sausele expresses joy in how her work brings beauty and happiness into the world. "It's happy. I mean, it's a happy, positive thing," she said. Beyond Mobilia Gallery, Sausele's work can also be seen at the Flat Rocks Gallery in Gloucester, making it accessible to those closer to the North Shore than Cambridge. She also maintains a gallery at her home where she loves sharing her craft, offering one-on-one or pair lessons in hand-sewn beadwork, allowing others to learn this remarkable artistic technique.