I've been told I'm a watery being. My relationship, and inspiration from water is in it's resilience, protection and focused power. Water always finds a path forward. Heat, although necessary, is damaging without water to balance. When focused, water is the most powerful force on earth. Symbolically and practically, water inspires my design work and the way I approach my relationship with life.  

Our work creating custom jewelry, engagement rings and artful metal sculptures revolves largely around fire - casting, soldering, melting metal and fusing pieces together. Without this element of heat we would not be able to do our work. Working with fire, however, gives us a profound appreciation for water - we use it to protect soft gemstones like opals and turquoise from heat when resizing rings. We quench hot castings into buckets of water to clean plaster out and cool the pieces in the appropriate time frame. Water is the most powerful cleansing tool we have. Steaming pieces is the final finishing step in jewelry creation; the pressure of the steam gets into all the hard to reach areas and cleans jewelry in a pure way, with no chemicals needed.

In nature water inspires peaceful resilience. My career as an artist has been one of incredible patience. Said another way, the length of time it has taken to grow an audience and group of collectors has been difficult. The doubts have been many on this untraditional path. Water has often been a solace to me, both by calming my worries on the waters edge and by teaching me that great things take time. Canyons and creek beds do not form overnight. The steadiness of a small stream or a constant drip of water, however small, creates ravines, rivers, even great canyons. Being patient and steadfast in my work is a powerful tool toward a sustainable arts practice.

Personally, I am a very watery being. I cry easily. I am a cancer / water sign by horoscope and my emotions and sensitivities are very open. Only through deliberate work am I able to distinguish between my own thoughts and feelings and those of others. It’s a powerful tool, helping me connect with and understand people, but can also lead to confusion. I have had to the learn how to focus this tool of understanding, when to allow it to be open and when to control my sensitivities. I often think about water jets, one of the most powerful tools in the industry, used to cut through thick steel plates and achieve intricate designs in very hard materials. A very soft substance like water, when focused on a singular mission, becomes as sharp as a laser. I am naturally a peaceful, open, watery being, so it inspiring to see how powerful the focused force of water can be. This powerful tool has helped my in my own evolution, singularly focusing my own thoughts, intentions and goals into a laser-like power has helped me achieve much professionally.

The inspiration of water in my life has made it’s way into my work as a designer, drawing on the flow of water for our river rings and the form of water drops in many of my turquoise rings. My hope is that when you wear these pieces, you are infused with the transforming power of peace, resilience and focused power.