Education
My journey started by making beaded jewelry and chainmail as a teenager for friends and family. I had always had an attraction to the small, hidden details in life which evolved into my love for creating small objects, especially ones that can be worn. With the encouragment of family and friends in 2001 I enrolled at Oregon College of Arts and Craft in Portland Oregon focusing on Metalsmithing and Fiber Arts for 2+ years before transfering to PSU to continue working in metalsmithing. After my long and winding education I worked for various artists, makers, craftsman. I have been blessed with the oppurtunity to learn from some extraordinary artists, recieving invaluable feedback, and gaining new skills over the years. Connections and community exchange are so important for artists!
inspiration
The things that inspire my work the most are my physical landscape, the people and culture I am surrounded by. I am deeply influenced by the environment that I am in, be it the dessert, the mountains, coastal edge or midwest plains and the architecture in that region. The music, colors and energy in the environment inspire me and the emotion that goes into making a piece of jewelry. I love beauty, symbolism and enjoy being experimental with my designs, swinging back and forth between organic and structural. Patterns, texture and repetition seem to sneak their way into many of my designs. I am especially attracted to Japanese silversmithing techniques, tools and designs; marriage of metals(combining metals to create contrast), engraving, hollow forms and incorperating alternative materials which I hope to explore more in future collections. Change is the constant and as an artist I strive to evolve with the times while holding onto traditions that benefit the present and future.
