noradoughertyjewelry

one of my earliest memories is of making a nest for birds to move into. I spent hours gathering twigs and vines and then wove them all together into the branches of a tree near our house. then I would check everyday to see if anyone had moved in… as far as I know- no bird ever made a home there. still, the joy of making that nest, and the anticipation that maybe, just maybe... stays with me to this day. this early impulse to join in the creative force of the natural world has followed me into adulthood.

making these forms gives me hope. in the quiet of my studio, utilizing the movement of my hands to improvise with the materials and tools, i feel i am just another force of nature- like the wind and the water carving the cliffs near my house. i hope that the results point toward the human capacity to align with the environment. any evidence of this sustains me at a time when the earth is so threatened by human impact.



while my process is primarily intuitive, my surroundings are clearly an influence. in my life i have been fortunate to have lived next to the ocean- first the atlantic, now the pacific. there is a strong relationship in my work to the different forms I admire and collect from the stunning coast in and around santa cruz, california, where I live now.


it is important to me that the forms be 3 dimensional and kinetic. often the jewelry is designed so that each element can be rotated while being worn- revealing a new shape with every turn. the sensuality of each piece is meant to be experienced physically as well as visually. they are meant to feel good. it seems that the years i’ve spent studying yoga, dance and meditation continue to inform my art- on ongoing exploration of movement and physicality.

i aspire to create forms that are a surprise from every angle, and are still balanced. my hope is that this work reminds us of our true nature, one that is timeless, beautiful, and unfolding in every moment..