After developing a career ending allergy to a variety of woods, I transitioned from woodworking to silversmithing. and soon found all the aspects of design and form that I loved about working with wood were abundant in jewelry making.
As an artist from the Pacific Northwest, it’s inevitable that nature would seep into to my work like rain to a stream. I love working with natural curves, found elements and beach rocks I collect on the Oregon coast. The name Tree and Stone Studio is a nod to my woodworking past along with my present life as a jewelry artist working primarily with beach rocks, gemstones, and silver as my mediums.
To start a piece of jewelry, I usually sit down with cabochon, a beach rock, or just sheet of silver and let the magic happen. And it feels like magic sometimes. When I’m at my bench creating something new, time becomes abstract, sometimes flying by, sometimes standing still, unimportant.
Each one is different, elemental and holding the energy that created them. They almost just tell you what they need to become a beautiful piece.