I have always enjoyed making beautiful things and I have earned my living as an artist and crafts person,since the mid 70s.

The first craft items I made to sell were wood carvings. I was living in some of the remote squatter communities that used to exist up the West Coast of Vancouver Island. There wasn't much to do in the winter, and almost everyone in the community carved the wood that washed up in the storms for entertainment.

I also used to make made wild and wonderful clothing and decorative items like tea cozys, from scraps of cloth, embroidery thread and seed beads.

In the mid 1980's this evolved into making jewelry.

I am self taught, and I think this has helped me develop my own unique style. Working in the same small community for three decades and getting feedback from local customers, has helped me perfect the structural design of my pieces for durability and comfort.

I make most of my pieces in the winter, when it is gray and dark and rains almost constantly. It is the perfect time to hole up and dream and be creative.

From 1981 to 2015 I sold mainly through our large local outdoor weekly Market, which runs from April and October but I have mostly retired from this and now sell mainly through Etsy.

When I make a piece of jewelry I start with sheets of metal, wire that is in various sizes, pure silver for creating a bezel cup, a jewelers saw, a number of files, solder, and a torch.

Having gemstones I love is a major inspiration for me. I love color, and how color makes me feel. I often design pieces around the stones and metals and the feeling I get from them.

There is something magical about turning something solid like silver into something that is so hot it is fluid, and then having it become solid again. Shaping metal is an ancient art, and I enjoy feeling I am continuing an ancient art form through my work.

I generally build parts of the piece I am working on and then fuse them in layers.

The slide show above shows me building a pair of simple copper feather earrings with sterling silver midribs or quills and brass wire ties. This is one of my unique product lines and this is one of the few things I produce in batches of 3 or 4 almost identical items.

These copper feathers have been photographed sitting on the fire brick I use to solder on.

My workshop is usually messy. For me, all the bits and pieces are like an artists easel, and having a lot of small odds and ends laying about are often the source of ideas and inspiration.

Having an opportunity to show off my work and sell online has made my creative process a lot more enjoyable.

Thanks for your interest.

Enjoy!