Artist Biography &
Statement
Artist’s Biography
I’ve always had a creative bent and after landing in the banking arena in my late twenties, it wasn’t until attending Pittsburgh Arts Center’s evening Metalsmithing classes that I found my happy place!
A 25-year metalsmith, I am somewhat ‘self-trained’ … I perused every jewelry book, blog, forum & video I could find and filled in the rest of my training by attending the American Jewelry Institute in Atlanta and working with a handful of Masters like Jean Stark, Deborah Hutchinson and Julia Woodman.
I have taught at the Center for Creative Arts & The Delaware Art Museum for a decade while living in the Delaware/Philadelphia area. I also received Master Artisan Certification with the PA Craftsmen Guild and retailed & wholesaled my art in the region. When I moved to Wyoming, I helped establish the WY Art Coalition. When I landed in Florida a few years ago, I was able to connect with the VAC where I functioned as the Exhibits Coordinator. While I enjoyed connecting with the Florida artists & VAC members, I’ve missed the metals studio and having a classroom of students to share my passion for my craft. I also do lapidary (stone cutting), glass fusing and mixed metal wall clocks.
Artist’s Statement & Process
I am inspired by nature and pattern and I work to bring both texture and balance to my pieces while respecting the boundaries of the materials I've chosen and the demands of making my jewelry wearable and my clocks functional. I strive to evoke the patterns, textures and shapes from nature that are as simple as they are beautiful.
I use a mix of metals to fabricate my jewelry and my clocks. I hand texture the metals and apply different patinas to add contrast and color. I employ many different traditional jewelry techniques such as roller printing, corrugating, stamping, fold forming, enameling and hydraulic press forming to create further interest. You can see my jeweler's influence through the embellishments such as gem stones, pearls and shell on both mediums.