My metalsmithing practice is based on an exploration of processes with an attention to form and color. My jewelry designs are inspired by my photographic works ranging from architecture and geometry to nature and bright colors.  These inherently bring me to look for new ways to express structure with metal and to generate excitement with color.

My attraction to lines, value, light and shadows, and the overall geometry of my surroundings began when I was a child when I would often stare at an M.C. Escher artwork on my parents’ wall. The black and white artwork is a transformation of shape-shifting reptiles from puzzle pieces to realistic creatures crawling in a circular parade.  I would daydream and wonder if they would perhaps leave the artwork?  I saw something new every time I looked at the M.C. Escher print. This gave me an eye for geometry and movement while teaching me how to pay attention to details. Other influences include artists Dale Chihuly, Carston Höller, and Georgia O’Keeffe. All these artists leave me with an appreciation of the overall form and how light, texture, and color enhance a subject.

These inspirations led me to approach metalsmithing by experimenting with different processes and discovering what I find exciting visually. What I have found most interesting so far are my designs that are structured, brightly colored, imitate motion, or are sculptural in form. I use my architectural and nature photography as a design reference for my jewelry designs. I am currently exploring etching and screen-printing techniques to infuse my photographs into enamel and metal. It encourages me to continue further experimentation with methods to immerse photography into my jewelry design. I see myself continuing to experiment with enamels, meanwhile adding physical photographs as an additional element to my designs. The exploration and merging of the two mediums serve as a catalyst for my creativity and an opportunity to develop a cohesive conversation between photography and metals.