About

I am a largely self-taught artist, designer and metalsmith who has been creating things with my hands since I was a small child. My passion for jewelry design and creation began during the 1970s after spending time among the silversmiths of the Navajo Nation. I started by making beaded pieces using turquoise, silver, pearls and semi-precious stones for myself and for gifts for family and friends. Years later I learned to make fused glass and after countless requests began, in 2003, to sell my glasswork locally and in my home state of Colorado. Soon after, I taught myself how to metalsmith and found my true love. I work intuitively and rarely sketch out in advance what I will make. I adore the creative process and delight in experimentation.

I find inspiration everywhere: relationships, nature, science, architecture, pop culture, spiritualism, ancient and contemporary art+design. I like to explore universal motifs, natural phenomena, minimalism, the line, negative space, geometry, and color, in my jewelry designs. I am an avid world traveler, so ideas and sometimes materials follow me home and are incorporated into my pieces.

As an independent artisan, I design and fabricate all of my jewelry one piece at a time using sterling silver, fine silver, brass, copper, bronze, and gold. I add color and texture to my work with patinas, hand-pigmented resins, enamels, fused glass, pearls, stones, shells, pottery and beads. Each piece is a unique work of wearable art that I hope will be enjoyed and worn every day.

I am a former legal aid lawyer, adjunct law professor, and environmental and human rights advocate. I create my work and live with my family in Durham, North Carolina. In 2006, I co-founded the volunteer-run Durham Craft Market in order to provide a venue for local artisans and crafters to sell their wares. I also create ceramic art and mosaics, which I sell from time to time.