About My Work
I have been a lapidary since 1995, and a metalsmith since 1996. I have been
a rockhound for the better part of my life. I am largely self-taught,
with the aid of many fine books and occasional metalsmithing workshops
from gifted artists such as Charles Lewton Brain and John Hays. I
was drawn to the lapidary (stonecutting) art by the same love of stones which
compels me to rockhound. I became a metalsmith so that I could
set my finished stones to their best advantage.
My work is motivated by my desire to communicate the same nourishing
and healing closeness to earth and stone which I experience through my rockhounding
and lapidary.
In this sense, my compulsion to make jewelry out of stones is not different
from that of our distant ancestors who would wear the bones or teeth
of wild animals as a connection with the spirits of those animals. Although
my jewelry is clean and contemporary in style, there is a neo-tribal, talismanic
feel to much of it.
My philosophy of design is to present the stone in a way which flatters rather
than overpowers it . The stones which I select frequently have strong character
in their patterns and colors, and I try to set these stones simply,
in a way that provides a frame for the stone without distracting from it.
When working with stones that, while attractive, are less assertive in their
character, I seek to give them context either by combining them with
complementary stones or by designing a more ornamented setting.
Unlike those who constantly seek to identify and cash in on the trends in
gemstones and jewelry, I try to avoid the "usual suspects." My jewelry is
for the wearer, not the crowd. It is about connection rather than ostentation.
It is not for everyone. I hope it is for you.