Etched Metal Art
Once upon a time I traveled the US as an musician, dancer, and comedian at Renaissance Festivals (yep, my momma did raise a Fool). During the week I would make extra money as a sign painter, scenic painter, and maker of props and jewelry, including crowns and signet rings. Starting in the late ‘90s I began a career as a gemstone carver and custom jeweler. I spent 18 years in that work, traveling around the country doing art shows, Celtic Faires, Cons, and Renaissance Festivals. As my business expanded I realized I needed an economical line of jewelry to compliment the higher end pieces I created. So I started making etched copper discs which could be either pinned onto clothing, or worn as a pendant for a necklace. As time went by I added two more metals (brass and nickel) and a variety of styles, including buttons, earrings, conchos, and brooches.
In 2015 I shut down my business to concentrate more on traveling with my corgi, Buster Brown. After a stint in long haul trucking across the US and Canada, I fell in love with being a tour guide. We’ve spent 3 summers in Alaska, as well as guiding at the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, and Napa Valley. It recently became clear that it was time for Buster to retire from the tour guide industry, and so we returned to the Renaissance Festival circuit as a creator and salesmen for The Bard’s Musik Shoppe, making and selling bamboo flutes and travelers saxophones.
During my five year hiatus I continued to make buttons for my favorite wholesale client, WindWalker Fine Footwear. With my return to the Renaissance Festival circuit I started to ramp up the button production and gather more wholesale clients. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the closing/postponement of shows, and the uncertainty of the near future, I have returned to Etsy as a way to earn a living for Buster and myself. I am now running a permanent 2-for-the-price-of-one sale to liquidate my back stock of pin/pendant combinations.
As an Arizona Native (the Copper State) I have a particular fondness for copper, and love etching the metal.
