A little about me

Raised in Palo Alto, California in the early seventies by a romantic, aspiring artist and a passionate, meticulous tinkerer, I was instilled with a love of the arts, craft and the valuable importance of form and function in design. From an early age I was surrounded by inspiring landscapes, beautiful handmade objects; mementos from my parents life experience, and a constant flow of creative energy that filled our home. The first piece of metal jewelry I made, at age 10, a Mother's Day gift, was a twisted, hammered, forged and soldered, copper wire bracelet. From that moment on, my life was permanently changed. The thrill of crafting things with my own hands, along with my love of tools, set the stage for a life of making.

After years hopping around from Palo Alto to Carmel, San Diego, to Monterey, and a seven year stint in Austin, Texas, I came back to The Bay Area, to settle back into the comfort of my beloved, home state. I am and will always be a Californian and thanks to my mothers bay area roots, and my fathers heartfelt passion for the coast, it's in my genes. Fortunately for me, inspiration is everywhere!

Since graduating from the California College of Arts and Crafts, (Now known as CCA) my work has been selected for awards and shown both nationally and internationally, in various juried shows. Images of my work have been published in numerous books, catalogs and articles. I also have over 5 years of teaching experience and continue to enjoy sharing my love of tools and making with others.

After spending the last 18 years in a cramped apartment in San Francisco, I am now living in Sonoma County, where I make each piece of jewelry by hand, out of my home studio, with the constant, loving support of my husband Ken and our six feline family members, Lucille Snowball, Fuzzy, Ruby, Josephine, Bobby and Phoebe. Our "little red house on the hill", and my separate artist studio, has been a life long dream. Being surrounded by nature, open sky, birds, flowers, trees and plants, is what fills my heart and inspires me daily.

A little about my process

Although I often romanticize about the concept of keeping a journal or sketchbook, the truth is my preference is to sketch in 3-D more often than putting a pencil to paper. I enjoy making paper models of the pieces in the design process or "drawing" them with wire, as I create my layouts. Using recycled bits, scraps and components left over from previous designs gives me the freedom of spontaneity and a "thinking outside the box" way of looking at the work during the design process. Each piece is fabricated by hand and although I may do repeat pieces in a series, since none of the pieces are cast and no molds are made, they are all unique and show "the hand of the maker". In my opinion, this is one of the most rewarding parts about the handmade process.

What inspires me

I am inspired and attracted to the smallest, most minute details of something as seemingly simple as the texture of a sidewalk, the complex architecture of a bridge, or building, to the vast array of lines and shapes that naturally occur in the landscape, through shadows and symmetry. Geometry and pattern abound and my love of photography helps me document this part of my inspiration process. 

All for the love of craft

My ultimate goal as a maker, is that the jewelry and objects I create fit into the lives of others through adornment, sentiment and celebration, while emphasizing the purity, importance and love of the handmade. Ultimately, over time, I hope that my work becomes a comforting, natural part of your own individual style and history.