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I had my first class swimming with the big fish of the area watercolorists here in Roanoke yesterday. Am I ready to take this class? Probably not. I saw some work in there that I won’t be able to do for…possibly years. Or ever. But I figure if I’m able to absorb just a little of what I experienced in class as I continue to paint, then it’s worth being a small fish in a big pond. I know, from my experience making jewelry, that the only way to execute what is in my mind and marry that with my actual ability is time. HowRead More →

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I believe the most important aspect to uniqueness is curiosity. It supports uniqueness, or is the precursor to it, since it drives the interest necessary to differentiate oneself from the crowd. And I suppose if I dive a little deeper, I believe fear is what keeps someone forever in the tribe of mediocrity and common viewpoints. Curiosity about our fears teases out the conditioning that led to the fear in the first place, and if you face any fear with curiosity, then a unique viewpoint has the soil to grow– under the right conditions. I’m a self-taught jeweler, and started getting curious about fire andRead More →

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I have loved the look of pearls and silver since I first saw my cousin wearing a silver pearl ring when I was 13. She was long and blonde, 16 and from California. She was the most exotic person I had ever seen, and she was a surfer. When she arrived to my house from her California home late one night with her parents, I was surprised to see her on my living room couch. I remember studying her while she slept. She looked like a landlocked mermaid, and her jewelry had that California ease that looks like a person was born with their jewelryRead More →

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I haven’t used my jeweler’s saw in years for anything other than cutting a straight line to make another design. But not this week! A few weeks ago I was watching a new show on Apple TV called The Morning Show with Reece Witherspoon and Jennifer Anniston. Jennifer’s character was wearing a gorgeous pair of gold earrings in one of the episodes, and I was inspired to make these layered brass earrings with sterling silver accents. I think the trick to making brass earrings resemble gold is in the finish you choose and the thinness of the metal. Jennifer’s earrings were very lightweight and thin,Read More →

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Yesterday, I went for a hike and decided to stop at a bench to take a break.  I noticed an ant on the bench, and my first instinct was to flick it away. I can’t tell you how much I abhor ants. But for some reason, I stopped myself.  I thought to myself: “What if I were an alien, and was visiting Earth, and I came across a human?  Maybe I’m a huge alien, like so big that the human can’t really see me because of his limited perspective.   If a human annoyed me, would I just flick it away? Or would I understandRead More →