sea urchins

Moving to Pawleys Island in 1996 had a profound effect on my artistic style.  Walking the beach in my newfound home turned up all kinds of colorful seashells.  I was especially mesmerized by the sea urchins that washed up- the color variations and precise geometry drew me to use them in my work. 

Before then, I expressed my love of color by making contemporary silver and enamel brooches, which were a reflection of my urban lifestyle back in Maryland.

I grew up in the Baltimore area, and went to college at Towson State University to study art.  Fortunately, they had an excellent metals studio, and I spent 5 years in the Towson studio working on my Bachelor's degree in art, as well as taking a business minor.

Before I graduated from Towson, I was approached by a goldsmith in Frederick, Maryland who was seeking an apprentice.  I worked in his studio for a year and acquired valuable experience.  During this time I took several workshops at regional craft schools to work on specific skills such as fabrication and stone setting.

Before long, I was itching to get out on my own, and create my own designs.  I took on a series of part time waitressing jobs to pay my way by working at night, so that I could practice metals technique during the day.  A happy circumstance of that journey was meeting Rick, my husband and business partner.  He was the sous chef at the restaurant where we met, and is still a fabulous cook.   Cooking together is one of our favorite pastimes to this day.

When we got married in 2001, I took on the challenge of teaching my first student- my new husband.  Rick learned the trade quickly and now produces half of the work that I design in our studio.

We love walking the beach with our dogs, Frannie and Lulu, and picking up the lovely things the Atlantic brings to us.  Rick and I currently travel to art festivals around the country to share our one of a kind creations with you.

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Lulu and Frannie