I was a professional ballet dancer and teacher for most of my life and this has given me a deep and innate understanding of the human body as a means of expression. The idea of gesture and the sculptural nature of pose and position is something I have translated into jewelry making. The natural world and specifically flowers, which are an iconic inspiration for classical ballet choreography, have been secondary influences. Flowers inspire the gardener in me and provide a wellspring for my ideas as a dancer transformed into visual artist.

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I was born in Miami and grew up in Central Florida. Being outside and near the coast was a daily luxury and I scavenged many specimens along the waters’ edge. These collections became generators for future ideas and stimulated my creativity. My father is an architect and a fine carpenter. I grew up amidst constant construction of furniture and boats and house renovations. Immersed in this environment, the making of three-dimensional form became second nature. My sister and mother are painters and steeped in this creative environment I developed my own personal language and way of looking at the world through the lens of an artist’s eye.  

Costume design has also influenced my motivation to create adornments and sculptural embellishments for the body. Movement, texture, and color guide me as I translate each stone into a conveyance of a feeling or sensibility. Sometimes the gems are the centerpiece of the arrangement and other times they are part of the background supporting the larger composition. I love to play with scale and movement when I approach design and focus on the attributes of the body relative to the ornament. For instance, hands are amazingly vital and expressive, so I have made rings that are exaggerated in size and sculptural to draw attention to the hands as tools. My recent work of pod necklaces and rings focuses on kinetics and highlights the natural movement that occurs when the ornament is worn on the body.

I live in Seattle, WA now with my husband, 2 boys, 1 cat, Max the hunter, my 8 year old yellow lab, Maui, and my 4 year old white lab named Makai.  My workshop is based in my home where I work almost every day. When I need enrichment, I work in my garden, which after eleven years is still a work in progress as is life and jewelry making. I spend as much time as I can with family and friends and during the summer my boys and I are outside as much as possible. In my spare time I love to read, take photographs, and walk on the beach for hours on end.

I use only fair trade and conflict free diamonds and gemstones; all my gemstones are from local wholesalers who I have worked with for many years. I don’t buy stones sight unseen. I must hold each one and turn it in the light to be inspired. On occasion, I will use a heated or enhanced stone to lessen the cost for customers and this is stated in the item description.

I hope that you find something in my shop that you love as much as I loved making it.