I am an award-winning jewelry artist that enjoys reflecting the natural beauty around us into wearable and wonderful art! One of my techniques is enameling which involves the beautiful and ancient art of fusing glass to metal. My one-of-a-kind enamel beads reflect this traditional art and each one is created with lots of character and distinction. The bead begins with a copper tube that I cut to the size I want for the bead. Using my torch, I layer lump enamels around the copper—the heat fuses the enamel to the copper tube. Working in the flame, I add more enamel, layer by layer until the shape of the bead emerges—the final layer is the design, color, or texture that I create with the flame. After finalizing the shape of the bead, I anneal the bead for added strength. Once the bead is completely cooled, I “frame” it with sterling settings to finish its character. Each bead can be worn on sterling chains, neck wires, ribbons or cords. I like to call my beads my “little art paintings”—each one an original that cannot be recreated.
I also work with the precious metal clays--fine silver, copper and bronze. The clay is composed of the ground metal embedded in water and organic materials that make it pliable. I can design the piece either with molding, stamping, carving, folding, shaping by hand or other techniques. I spend 80% of my time on the piece sanding and refining when it is dried before firing. Then the clay is fired and the binders burn away and the piece becomes 100% that metal. I use traditional metal techniques to finish the piece. Each design is original. Sometimes I will enamel the metal or oxidize it to further enhance its textures or bring color to contrast with the natural look of the metal.
