I like to think of my jewelry as an extension of myself. My pieces become a part of me that I’ve molded, nurtured and caressed into being. Though I do not have any formal training in jewelry construction; I have a college degree and professional designations in Interior Design.

I’ve enjoyed creating things for as long as I can remember and over the years have worked in a wide variety of mediums: garment construction and other sewing projects, knitting, needlework, weaving, basketry and watercolors. A large part of the satisfaction I get from the creative process is not only the balance of color and spaces but figuring out the positive and negative properties of a material and how it can be used in the construction process.

I was introduced to wire work and jewelry construction applications by my sister and have been hooked ever since. I especially like to find ways to incorporate construction processes from other mediums to metal. I enjoy nature and am outside as much as I can and am constantly amazed by the beauty and intricacy of what nature has created all around us and try to incorporate nature into my work either through the use of materials or the energy that nature provides. Rocks have been something I have been picking up and collecting as long as I can remember and have now found a way to incorporate them into my work along with semi precious stone and lampwork glass beads. My respect for nature drives my concern with recycling and to that end I have been fascinated by the concept of incorporating found objects into my work as well.

I have been teaching art in the Sauk Prairie School District for 22 years using a variety of media. I have found in my Object Design classes that copper is an inexpensive and easy material for the students to work with. It can be etched, enameled and holds various patinas. Due to the lack of space and funding, I have focused on cold connections, meaning attaching the different components together using wire and/or rivets. Another new medium I have been investigating is Precious Metal CopprClay ™ . This new medium is molded, fired twice in an activated coconut carbon and tumble polished. It also can be enameled and soldered. My inspiration comes from organic items found in nature. I combine base metal with stones, resin and fused glass to produce a piece of jewelry.