When I was an eager newbie metalsmith having just finished taking 1.7 introductory courses, I was selling my work at a boutique near downtown Santa Fe that I worked at part-time. I was so excited to share my work with practically anyone who walked in the door. It was around this time in 2018 that I put together my first cohesive line. I was reading several basically ‘spirituality-for-dummies’ books and deep diving into metaphysical properties of stones/crystals too. Naturally in my whimsy curiosity, I gravitated towards the classic witchy/spiritual symbolism of stars and moons. In the images of these works you can see some simple sawed out patterns in various arrangements with gemstones and crystals. I still greatly struggled with my jewelers saw and each shape successfully cut out and filed were absolutely a labor of love.
The first two slides are from early 2018 works right after learning how to use a torch. The last slide is of common themes revisted in late 2019.
Fast forward to a show I was invited to be a part of in December of 2024 at Lapis Room Gallery. The theme was ‘Celestial Beings’. I took a similar approach of lots of hand-sawing, carefully chosen gemstones, and whimsy as well. This time I focused a lot more on balance, asymmetry, and play. I wanted to take this opportunity to create a line for a sake of sparking joy. As a full-time artist, one of my challenges is sticking to a distinctive aesthetic and works that go with each other. This is something I take a lot of pride in as well, since it can take many years for established artists to create their own artistic voice. In addition to that, I make sure to only use designs and motifs that all have a personal meaning to me. Having said that, being able to explore a subject that is outside of that common theme is a lot of fun creatively. Here are the current works that are in Lapis Room Gallery.
Star Dust Collection
Star Dust Necklace
Oh My Stars Earrings
Dark Night of the Soul Earrings
