Biography

I have always been a maker of things, having been born into a family of people who produced many items that they used.  My father was a Renaissance man of sorts.  His other daughter expressed no interest, so I chose to learn how to hold the light and hand him the tools he needed to make and fix all manner of projects around the house.  I still have that love of tools that he instilled in me, and delight in using them.

My art education began in well-funded public schools.  I didn’t realize at the time how lucky I was to have access to such rich and diverse art programs.  Although I eventually pursued an advanced degree in a helping profession, I always returned to working with my hands as a way to connect, to ground, to create something out of nothing, or to find a new use for something that had been discarded. 

Upon our engagement in 1990, I decided to make our wedding rings, enrolling in metalsmithing classes.  Although I enjoyed many facets of the process, I was not very comfortable with the torch.  Soon thereafter, I began taking classes in fused glass, a medium that I love to this day.  Because I had always made jewelry, it seemed a natural fit to make the glass pieces (cabochons) into wearable art, which I did by wire-wrapping them.  One day, though, I decided to branch out and take a silver-fusing class, and began to use a small butane torch.  Once comfortable with that tool, I enrolled in metalsmithing classes again, and am now back full-circle, accustomed to the larger torch and the process of soldering. My line now includes rings and sterling silver bracelets.  

In 2018, I began experimenting with vitreous enamels, which are powdered glass on copper, melted with a torch or in a furnace. It was a natural fit for me, after so many years of working with glass and metal. Now equipped with a small enameling furnace, I have expanded my line to include these pieces, although I must admit, I have been focusing on glass work more lately.

Over COVID lockdown, I returned to some of my earlier loves, sewing and card making. I made sewn collage cards and they are available at my booth. Each is original, suitable for framing and has an extra page sewn in. No glue is used in my cards, except what is on the envelope. I use high quality cardstock, text weight paper and ephemera, some of which is vintage.

My influences are many.  I devour catalogs of the newest tools and supplies, thinking of ways to use them.  Color and texture are absolutely delicious; I love to combine these to create unique pieces.  I look at others’ work in galleries, museums, art shows and on social media.  While I sometimes draw upon their techniques, I have also created my own.  I take pure delight in seeing others wear my work and am grateful for the support of my customers, who often push me to create new things.