DistantTheDawn

I have been a maker my whole life, thanks in large part to my father who was always doing something interesting. (Fear not mom, without you I wouldn't read.) I chose my mentor at age two by running to a stranger at a restaurant (a friend of my folks) who was my art teacher from grade school on. College brought me to metal and aside from my magpie-like attraction to shiny objects, the seeming impossibility of the craft and the wonderful tools made me a metalsmith. Over the years I have had successes and failures, worked in grocery stores and corporate, gone through breakups, suffered blockages, exile, earned a degree and a half, gave birth to three amazing children, been the star of my own romantic comedy with that guy in my picture and through it all never, ever let go of my art.

After a three year increasingly successful stint in corporate education, I quit my job and took the leap into full time metalwork. I have never been happier or worked harder.

I believe that objects of all sorts have potential, and none so much as those that are hand crafted, because they are born with a story and a heart. Objects can be reliquaries of memory, story, experience, love, and personality. They are tools passed down through the generations, a grandmother's engagement ring given another love story to tell, a child's beloved best stuffed friend who is never forgotten or that necklace you have always felt prettiest in. They are our companions, they give us strength and encapsulate our convictions. And, those objects connected with the bad in our lives can provide catharsis in their destruction. (Who hasn't burned something from an ex?)

Objects hold our memories of loved ones and they let us pass on pieces of ourselves to those who touch our lives. As a maker I use many of my grandfather's tools to craft things I enjoy and then I send them out into the world. Not all of them will have that kind of meaning, but I have given them a good start and that's enough for me.

Most of my current work is based on the forms in nature that I am drawn to, as well as the writings of folks like Emerson and Thoreau. Making jewelry is a nice change for me, as I previously had focused on sculptural metalwork and art. I love being a practitioner of such an ancient craft and I am always experimenting and perfecting new techniques.
In case you are wondering, I do design and fabricate my pieces from recycled silver and gold sheet and wire myself. I use as few purchased findings as possible, normally only the fine chain and some prong settings are pre-made. I design, saw, file, solder, set, finish, package and ship every piece in my home studio. I share my home with a cat, a dog, a handsome graphic designer and our little boy engineer, our smarty-pants toddler girl, and our adorable baby boy. I also sell my work at craft fairs and markets.
When I am not making pretty things I spend my time reading space operas, playing coop video games with my husband, building legos with my kids, running, or drinking fine beer by the fire.
When you purchase from my shop you are not only getting something awesome just for you, but you are doing me the great service of letting me continue to live the life I love as well as putting food on my family's table and helping me save for my kiddos' college.

Thanks for reading and I am always happy to answer any questions regarding my work, the stories behind it, (there is always more than meets the eye) and my always adventurous life.