Annette Fourbears is of European and Native American heritage. She began weaving about 20 years ago with a group of California Native weavers in Ventura, California. When she retired and moved to the Northwest in 2004, she began lessons with Kathy Ervin and learned much about the local materials for weaving and how to use them. She also wove with Northwest Native weavers who were very generous and patient.

While at a weaving event on the Lummi Reservation she met Jacque Rickard, a Walker River Paiute. They quickly became friends. Jacque taught Annette the Paiute style of weaving a pine needle basket and covering it with peyote beadwork. Jacque makes traditional Paiute basket so the beadwork is almost exclusively colorful geometric shapes. Wanting to put her own cultural stamp on the beaded baskets, Annette started beaded designs that illustrates the stories she had heard.

Aside from basketry, Annette is best known for her 17-foot sculpture Wheel Totem Pole which was commissioned by the City of Ventura, California. It stands at the entrance to Foster Park in that city. In February of 2016 Annette was commissioned by the National Park Service to create a basket to celebrate the release of a quarter honoring the Shawnee National Forest.