Quality, Craftsmanship, and Innovation
My intent as a craftsperson is to create innovative designs executed with the highest quality craftsmanship. It is my goal to continually raise the bar, in terms of my skill set, design capabilities, and craftsmanship in order to create uniquely stunning jewelry that you’ll be proud to wear. I particularly love learning techniques that are fading from use and bringing back their lost art, as well as calling attention to under-utilized stones, minerals and fossils.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by form and design. I love antiques and period buildings, admire and collect artwork of all kinds, and have a background in interior design and fashion merchandising. Jewelry design actually started as a hobby for me before becoming my passion and then my profession.
I am both a metalsmith working predominately in silver and gold and a lapidary artist, cutting and polishing all the stones I use in my designs. The cutting and inlay of unusual stones, intarsia (creating a pattern of cut stone), and hand-forged and spool knit chains are all signatures of my work. I strive for simple clean design lines that serve to bring the stones to prominence, giving them a sense of power and drama.
Taking an idea I see in my head and making it come to life as a thing of beauty is deeply rewarding to me. Or taking a “rock” (gemstone/fossil/mineral) in its raw form as produced by nature (already beautiful), then cutting, grinding, and polishing it to create a gorgeous piece of art in its own right, is rewarding to my soul. Each stone has its own inherent strengths, including depth of color, reflective properties, and texture, that combine to reveal the essence of the stone. Lapidary work involves working with this essence and the story the stone is trying to tell in order to reveal its beauty and find the right design to show it off.
I have been selling my work at craft fairs throughout the Midwest for almost ten years, and am a member of Indiana Artisan (the state of Indiana’s branding organization for exceptional quality craft), and Art IN Hand (an artist member run gallery). I am always taking classes, learning new skills and seeking to evolve my art and craftsmanship. I am also particularly proud to say I am a teaching artist offering classes in jewelry design and lapidary work in a variety of locations including The Indianapolis Art Center, William Holland Lapidary School, and Wildacres Retreat (for the Eastern and Southeastern Rock and Gem Federation). Sharing my passion for jewelry with students has opened up an unexpected and deeply rewarding path of giving back and sharing within the artistic community. For me, my journey as an artist has been as gratifying as reaching the destination.
