As a transplanted Midwesterner, it is my good fortune to live and work in the mountains of North Carolina, surrounded by natural beauty and a vibrant craft community. While I spend most of my time as a studio jeweler, selling my work through galleries and at craft shows, I also love teaching workshops. When not in the studio, I am usually working on our house with my partner, David. My work is fueled by a fascination with detail, pattern, and surface; lichen on trees, flaking paint on rusty old metal, the texture and pattern in vintage fabrics, and architectural details just to name a few. I travel whenever possible because each place has it’s own way of inspiring me, whether it’s the people, the architecture, or natural surroundings.
My creative process is time consuming but drawing on metal provides a surface that is unique and can’t be achieved any other way. Colored pencil drawing allows me to blend colors and create patterns that are uniquely mine. I draw on metal because it is strong but easily formed. I create jewelry because I appreciate the intimacy of an art form that is worn on the body and that, historically, carries emotional weight. Jewelry combines so many components that I love: fashion, ornament, art, texture, color, and structure.
Currently I am working on a new line of work that is all about structure and texture but less about color. I’m excited to see where this body of work takes me but I will continue working in color as well. I am especially interested in teaching this style of fabrication and in helping students improve their skills.
Drawings aren’t just for the wall, anymore.
