A BRIEF BIO
After receiving my doctorate in the biosciences, my career evolved from research scientist to college professor to Director of a forensic science laboratory to business owner, and, finally, to manager in a county health department, the position from which I retired. One of my avocations in the 1970s involved writing two books for the general public on the subject of insects as human food, Butterflies in my Stomach and Entertaining With Insects. That endeavor resulted in featured articles in many publications around the world as well as numerous appearances on radio and television, including, “American Bandstand” with Dick Clark, “The Michael Douglas Show,” and two appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. One year I was the featured attraction at the Orange County Fair, performing 26 hour-long shows under the marquee, “The Bug Chef.”
I began sculpting clay in high school, an activity I continued sporadically throughout much of my working career. However, after retiring, that passion for creating objects in ceramic clay quickly evolved . . . first, into creating jewelry in sheet metal, and, finally, into creating jewelry in metal clay. I began with silver metal clay, and although I still use it, my passion has shifted to the newer base metal clays, copper, bronze, and steel. When combined in a single piece, they are considerably more challenging than working with silver alone. In the past 6 years, I have mentored with eleven renowned jewelry artists in bead & pearl stringing, lapidary, silver fabrication, and silver and base-metal clays. Jonna Faulkner and Hadar Jacobson have been my principle mentors in metal clay, and I will be forever grateful to them for sharing their knowledge, skills, and art with me.
After my long career in the sciences, it is deeply gratifying to now be known as a “jeweler” and as an “artist.” I am also extremely pleased to have placed second in two jewelry contests, to be featured as a “Rising Star” in an issue of Metal Clay Today, to have four of my pieces featured in two books by Hadar Jacobson, to have another piece featured in the November 2014 issue of Metal Clay Artist, and, finally, to be juried into the Desert Art Center in Palm Springs where my jewelry is now on display and for sale. In all of Southern California, only two people are accredited to teach Hadar's base metal clays, and I am one of them. I am also certified to teach silver clay.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I make jewelry using metal clay as the medium. I like to think of it as wearable art. Although some of my work is distinctly feminine, I am increasingly emphasizing a unisex, even masculine, aesthetic. Design principles that I see in my work are balance, proportion, and pattern. Terms I hear others use when commenting on my work are “careful,” “precise,” “detailed,” and “refined,” terms that I heartily embrace.
I create art because I have to; it is what nourishes my soul. I work with clay because of its tactility; the artist in me requires that intimacy. I work with metal clay, not just because I love metals, but because of the ease with which I can impart texture to my pieces. This is one of the strengths of metal clay as a medium for artistic expression. I work primarily with the base metals because they allow me to create wearable art using the rich metallic colors of the earth. I especially love mixing the metals in a single piece. Jewelry made from these clays is a relatively new art form. Few people have seen such jewelry, and it is exciting to be on the front lines.
I believe my artistic inclinations to be hereditary. My father was an oil painter, and my maternal grandfather was an accomplished coppersmith. Although my grandfather died the year I was born, he left behind a treasure trove of copper work that continues to inspire me. I find the work of the acclaimed Taxco artist Antonio Pineda to be particularly inspirational and influential to my art. His designs are bold yet refined, conveying a sense of power and elegant sophistication. For similar reasons, I am inspired by the work of acclaimed metal clay artist, Gordon Uyehara.
My goal as an artist is to create distinctive pieces of wearable art that people will “ohh” and “ahh” about and leave them wondering how something so unique, surprising, and beautiful could possibly be made.
I began sculpting clay in high school, an activity I continued sporadically throughout much of my working career. However, after retiring, that passion for creating objects in ceramic clay quickly evolved . . . first, into creating jewelry in sheet metal, and, finally, into creating jewelry in metal clay. I began with silver metal clay, and although I still use it, my passion has shifted to the newer base metal clays, copper, bronze, and steel. When combined in a single piece, they are considerably more challenging than working with silver alone. In the past 6 years, I have mentored with eleven renowned jewelry artists in bead & pearl stringing, lapidary, silver fabrication, and silver and base-metal clays. Jonna Faulkner and Hadar Jacobson have been my principle mentors in metal clay, and I will be forever grateful to them for sharing their knowledge, skills, and art with me.
After my long career in the sciences, it is deeply gratifying to now be known as a “jeweler” and as an “artist.” I am also extremely pleased to have placed second in two jewelry contests, to be featured as a “Rising Star” in an issue of Metal Clay Today, to have four of my pieces featured in two books by Hadar Jacobson, to have another piece featured in the November 2014 issue of Metal Clay Artist, and, finally, to be juried into the Desert Art Center in Palm Springs where my jewelry is now on display and for sale. In all of Southern California, only two people are accredited to teach Hadar's base metal clays, and I am one of them. I am also certified to teach silver clay.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I make jewelry using metal clay as the medium. I like to think of it as wearable art. Although some of my work is distinctly feminine, I am increasingly emphasizing a unisex, even masculine, aesthetic. Design principles that I see in my work are balance, proportion, and pattern. Terms I hear others use when commenting on my work are “careful,” “precise,” “detailed,” and “refined,” terms that I heartily embrace.
I create art because I have to; it is what nourishes my soul. I work with clay because of its tactility; the artist in me requires that intimacy. I work with metal clay, not just because I love metals, but because of the ease with which I can impart texture to my pieces. This is one of the strengths of metal clay as a medium for artistic expression. I work primarily with the base metals because they allow me to create wearable art using the rich metallic colors of the earth. I especially love mixing the metals in a single piece. Jewelry made from these clays is a relatively new art form. Few people have seen such jewelry, and it is exciting to be on the front lines.
I believe my artistic inclinations to be hereditary. My father was an oil painter, and my maternal grandfather was an accomplished coppersmith. Although my grandfather died the year I was born, he left behind a treasure trove of copper work that continues to inspire me. I find the work of the acclaimed Taxco artist Antonio Pineda to be particularly inspirational and influential to my art. His designs are bold yet refined, conveying a sense of power and elegant sophistication. For similar reasons, I am inspired by the work of acclaimed metal clay artist, Gordon Uyehara.
My goal as an artist is to create distinctive pieces of wearable art that people will “ohh” and “ahh” about and leave them wondering how something so unique, surprising, and beautiful could possibly be made.
