Inspired by Nursery Rhymes

Much of my work has been inspired by childrens stories and nursery rhymes, both the story and the illustrations. A sense of spirituality and mysticism directs my work.  I hope that my pieces help the wearer to stay connected to their own dream world.  Some people say that art is a conduit, or that it helps to create sacred space.  I think jewelry creates a sacred space intimate to the individual wearer, an interaction between the jewelry and the one who wears it.  The artist might start the process, but the wearer lets it grow and thrive.

I started these pieces at the Tunnel Mill workshop in Minnesota, before we moved.  I started back in on them a few days ago, and finished them yesterday.

We started off with a combination project that included sawing, hammering, and chasing- a feather or leaf form.  I sawed out the form, then hammered in the texture, then used chasing to form the central vein and add extra lift to the rest of the form.  This was a great intro project for the students, allowing them to finish a beautiful piece in a relatively short amount of time.

Here's mine.



The ornate leaf hangs on a 16 inch brass chain with my own handformed hook closure.

The Man in The Moon - I worked on this piece while the students were continuing to develop their skills.






The Moon amulet hangs on a 30 inch endless chain.  The entire piece is hand hammered, from the moon amulet to the individual chain links.  

I work joy, reverence, and a good sense of humor into every piece of jewelry.  I want you to carry that with you as you wear it.