I have always had a passion for color.  Whether brushed on a canvas with oil paint, blended on paper with a pastel stick or using a gemstone in a tube or a bezel setting, the colors being used, their combinations and their placement say more to me about the piece than the piece’s actual function.  In my jewelry, I love to combine the sparkle of a faceted stone with the natural maybe even raw look of a jasper or agate stone. The setting provides a clean palate that directs the focus back to the simplicity of the design.

Most of the components in my pieces are made by me.  This means the mounting for the stones, the chains and even the pin findings or ear wires.  I feel that if I am going to put my time into creating a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted piece for a client, each part should be made by hand.  One of my favorite things to do is to take a flat piece of metal and see how I can manipulate it.  I’ll bend it, pound it and texture it until it takes form.  I’ll then take this well worked over piece and give it a reflective shine.  As with the stone combinations I create, I enjoy the raw materials with lots of sparkle.

Unlike many artists, I do not always sketch out my pieces first.  An idea comes into my head or will generate after laying my stones out on the table.  I’ll play with different combinations using color and shape to see what works best together and let the piece almost create itself.  I try to have fun with the pieces I am creating.  I like to think that keeping a sense of humor about my work might make it more appealing to the customer. 

I can’t say that one particular artist or time period has influenced me or the work I create. I try and take in all that surrounds me.  From the color, shape and form in a Georgia O’Keefe painting, the simplicity of jewelry designed by Alexander Calder or even the city that surrounds me, it all has had an effect on the way I create my pieces.