About the Artist

My passion for art began as a six-year-old growing up in Chicago. My mother was an art student, and I was fascinated by her oil painting and jewelry projects. Trips to Chicago’s fabulous Art Institute came often, further instilling the love for art that would become a constant in an eclectic career path ranging from horsewoman to freight pilot to computer programmer. Our family’s organic garden and frequent camping trips nurtured a love for nature, especially flowers and rocks, which finds its way into much of my work today.

Creating jewelry has been a passion and a joy that keeps the rest of my life in perspective. My style has evolved and grown each year, and I am now working full time from my home studio overlooking a garden filled with lavender.  I am mostly self-taught, and five years ago found a new passion for moving metal with hammer and torch. The beautiful shapes and textures that can be accomplished through these two tools are nothing short of amazing, and my jewelry is now mostly hand forged from an eclectic mix of metals. 

Whether created from mostly metal or gems and beads, each one of the pieces in my shop is completely handmade, including jump rings and clasps. Metal pieces are fabricated by hand using a jeweler's saw, multiple hammers (you can never have too many hammers) and my wonderful acetylene torch. The beads and gems that I use are lovingly gathered from sources all over the world.  A mixture of metals is used in my jewelry,  including fine silver (99.99 pure, and less subject to tarnishing, but softer than sterling), sterling silver, copper and  brass, as well as 14 and 18kt gold. Recycled metals and conflict free eco-friendly stones and gems are used if at all possible.