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Biography

I love making things. Currently I work mostly with silver in many forms, sheet metal, wire, and precious metal clay. So I'm a sculptor and a metalsmith and I also use copper, brass, sterling silver, fine silver, argentium sterling silver and gold. And yet there's more, epoxy resin, semiprecious gems, plastic, photos and small digital artworks. I'm an explorer of techniques and mediums.

I could say that I'm self taught because I didn't learn what I do in school but I did learn everything from many talented teachers too numerous to list here. I guess I am self directed and that has led me to where I am today. I was in the right place and got to teach sold out classes of 20 students on precious metal clay at Artfest, a big yearly mixed media art retreat in Port Townsend, Washington for three consecutive years. I've also taught classes in my home to as many as ten students.

I've written two magazine articles about my designs with precious metal clay for early issues of Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine and my work has been included in three of the five PMC Annual books (2007),(2008) and (2011), as well as "A Charming Exchange: 25 Jewelry Projects To Create & Share" by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae (2008), "Metal Clay Beads: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration" (Lark Jewelry Book) by Barbara Becker Simon (2009), and "The Art of Metal Clay, Revised and Expanded Edition (with DVD): Techniques for Creating Jewelry and Decorative Objects" by Sherri Haab (2010).

I've also been published in two mixed media books "1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations (1000 Series)" by Dawn DeVries Sokol and "Crafter's Devotional: 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Unlocking Your Creative Spirit" by Barbara Call.

Way back when, I used to make my own ceramic clay ball-shaped stamps and spent most of my time hand making platters and other functional ceramic pieces until I discovered I could do more. I began a lifelong love of photography in high school and do my own digital photography of all my current work. I like to make small books.

Interests

I am a goldsmith and make jewelry from metal - my favorite is silver - and I also sculpt from precious metal clay. I started out as a potter, making bowls, teapots and round boxes. With the growth of the internet, I got interested in the computer and Photoshop and added on bookmaking and journals and mixed media art. I learned to knit for fun. I have a huge rubber stamp collection. I'm also interested in polaroid photography, image manipulation and transfers. I've got a series of polaroid cameras, lomography cameras, and have taken thousands of digital photos. I like to make ATC's and artist stamps too and have been learning mixed media painting and collage techniques for about 7 years. I am having so much fun! . . . And now it's 2011 and I am still at it!