Design Inspirations

Notes from the Artist

18K Yellow Gold: If you could work with any material in the world, why wouldn’t you work with beautiful, luscious 18K Yellow Gold. It is just amazing. Buttery and with a satiny glow, I’m just in love with the material. Of course, people in every culture understand gold. It’s part of the language of adornment. We connect to our selves and our world when we indulge in 18K.

Silver and Pearl: I first started making jewelry in Silver. When it came time to add stones, I was instinctively drawn to the Pearl. Its luster, the organic shapes- sometimes chubby and round, others times skinny and branched like a tree- are so seductive. Not to mention that I loved how it looked with the silver. Everything was white and glowing. I also love the sweet and ladylike effects I can achieve with it. Every woman wants to feel special, yes? Every once in a while I’ll design with color, but the Silver and Pearl will always be inspiring in and of themselves.

Oxidized Sterling and 18K Gold: This group represents a thicker line. The crochet wire is a tight, loopy surface, which I love, but this is a newer group, and shows that we evolve as artists. I enjoy the contrast between the Oxidized Silver and the warm Yellow Gold, punctuated by the sparkle of diamonds as so many of these pieces are. These are like 3-dimensional drawings in the air.

Bamboo: This represents another departure from the original crochet stitch. In this case, the fabricated supports are parallel to each other, and I need to pull the crochet stitch longer from bar to bar. I love how this creates a combination of straight lines, but with an organic hand to them. It sort of reminds me of slubby woven silk- everything parallel and perpendicular, but with nature showing its hand. I know I’m not up there with Mother nature in terms of making, but I can certainly appreciate a natural result.

Hammered: A hammered surface is actually a 2-dimensional treatment, but in my mind the thickness of the metal is a part of the story, too. I design my hammered pieces so that the light-reflecting parts combine together to make the final piece. It’s about creating a pattern in the air.

Linear: This is another attempt at drawing in 3 dimensions. I like to pack the lines together, like a high-energy pencil drawing I can’t believe these pieces were even able to come into existence- it’s a big challenge to take one form (drawing) and convert it to another- a tangible metal reality.

Stick-and-Pearl: This is me getting a little more strict with the line. I like the way the straight pieces, when connected properly, make a soft, drapey piece. I’d love to make a giant bib necklace some day- really let the metal become a fabric.

Shapes and Geometrics: Over time, I’ve challenged myself to take what people perceive to be so “delicate” and build it strong, so strong that it can contain a volume. And, I suppose, I must also enjoy creating small sculpture, because this turns out to be what they are. In some sense, a lot of these items were inspired by my trying to be “different,” but some of them are my most enduring designs.