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I started creating jewelry about 13 years ago in Minnesota. As President of the Owatonna Arts Center, I took a beading class from Cathy Collison-Glass Garden Beads Northfield! I was hooked.I went quickly from hobby to business...although I was driving 120 miles roundtrip every day to my corporate job at the Mall of America, every spare moment was taken with my new world of creating. I ended up partnering with my friend Pat Falk...and we started the Art Show Circuit. A daily commute plus weekend travel to the Art Shows proved too much.After 3 years I gave up my corporate job and began my new life as a full time artist. My goal was to take my work from 5 galleries to 50 galleries the first year! I made my goal...and then changed my course...and decided to stop beading and hammering gold and silver and doing my wirework..I had discovered PMC!!! *Precious Metal Clay™ is a revolutionary material developed and patented by Mitsubishi Materials of Japan. Tiny particles of pure silver or gold are suspended in an organic binder to create a material that can be worked like modeling clay. Pieces are fired in a kiln to 1750—2000°F to burn off the binder and fuse the metal. The result is a solid 100% pure silver or gold object. I read Tim McCreight's book, watched his video and decided to take the plunge...and take a lifechanging class from Cece Wire during the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 5 years ago. My life has not been the same.I relish creating and PMC has allowed me this lovely revelation and growth in mind and spirit. My forms are inspired by the shapes around me...the mountains, rivers, valleys...the flow of Mother Nature herself and the bountiful beauty we find in our everyday worlds. I have tried embedding sapphires...yes...they can take the heat of the kiln as can rubies.After the fact I will embed turquoise, pearls and lapis as they are organic and of course will burn up in the kiln! Because I travel quite a bit I can incorporate leaves, rocks and other items into the shapes thus my one collection called the Nature Collection In 2004 I started teaching PMC classes at SDSU. Most of my students are professors at the University and these women and men have been more of an inspiration to me than they will ever know. This journey of discovery has led me to myself...to my inner being...creating beautiful pieces...for we are all beautiful. In 2005 I received my Certification in PMC from Cece Wire in Tucson. It was all about honing skills rather than design..
The past three years I had my own gallery, Dragonfly Gallery in Oregon, IL. I made the difficult decision to close the doors last Spring to devote my time to creating new works of art, exhibitions, private showings and teaching.
