The American West influences our work on many levels. Every year we unplug for a couple weeks to immerse ourselves in the wild landscape. This year we headed to New Mexico and Arizona. Sleeping under the stars and exploring new forests, rivers and canyons rejuvenates our spirit and inspires our work. 

Native American jewelry tradition has deep roots in New Mexico and Arizona. In Gallup we sourced American Mined Turquoise from a beautiful collection of all USA sourced stones. We found everything from small ring stones to large bolo tie or bracelet stones. Please come by the studio to view them! A little box of old stamps made out of rebar also presented itself to me at a pawn shop and I couldn't resist. While in Arizona I had the privilege of viewing an incredible squash blossom collection dating back to 1850. Experiencing centuries old pieces inspires profound appreciation for the traditions, tools and expertise I know are required to craft such pieces. It inspires me to continue developing goldsmithing techniques I have yet to master.

Over the years we have spent considerable time with a Navajo family who are traditional weavers and sheep herders. Every morning I watched the Elder woman adorn herself with layered squash blossom necklaces, multiple turquoise and coral cuffs and a spattering of rings as she walked into the desert sunrise to herd sheep. Her jewelry was a ritual of self-respect and beauty. Adorning ourselves with symbols that carry meaning and beauty sets an intention to live meaningfully and beautifully. This is why I create pieces that you can wear daily, that carry story, intention and meaning while also bedazzling and beautifying. Taking the centuries old silversmithing traditions I learned and blending them with goldsmithing techniques, bringing together gems like turquoise, diamonds and sapphires in single pieces allows for full creative expression.

This was the first year in many that we decided to completely close the studio while we were away. It's harder than it should be to step away and accept that no "progress" will happen for a couple weeks. The benefits of perspective, rejuvenation and inspiration outweigh the loss of income. As our children approach the teenage years, spending time with them is increasingly valuable to us. We were mostly in areas of little to no cell service, allowing us to truly unplug and enjoy the presence of one another and the environment around us. 

We hiked to multiple natural hot springs in the mountains, found this precious slot canyon, full of echoing bird song (and all the mosquitos the birds were eating), and did a fair amount of river dipping and marshmallow roasting. Our son is obsessed with lizards at the moment, so we all found ourselves on hands and knees chasing and identifying desert lizard species. 

We came home with quite a few jobs to get to but I wanted to share photos of the trip in this simple video. Enjoy!

Thank you for being part of our story. We still feel lucky to be living this dream.