About the Artist

I was born in Vancouver and have lived all my life in BC.  The ocean and the symmetry of nature provide inspiration for me.  I have used many other mediums in my life to express my artistic talents; however, exploring the unique properties of silver and copper has dominated my passion for creating wearable art since 2004.

I have concentrated on making wearable art pieces that are unique, invariably influenced by the ocean and seashore. I create all of my pieces by hand – they reflect the symmetry of nature and life on the West Coast. I am constantly discovering more about the unique properties of silver and copper, learning through my own investigations and a variety of courses.

I use “fine silver” (99.9% silver kiln-dried) to create my sculptural pieces which I often combine with copper and woven sterling silver.  I fuse fine silver wire to make silver chains and earrings since there is no need for the use of solder with fine silver.  I use sterling silver (92.5% silver) when making my individual clasps and ear wires because the copper content produces greater strength.  

My hand-weaving of sterling and fine silver takes two forms: I use the ancient art of “Viking knit” to create fine silver ropes and I link sterling silver and fine silver jump rings using chainmaille designs such as Parallel Weave, Byzantine, European 4-in-1, or Round Maille to enhance my designs.  The final result of these various weaves is very pleasing because of their strength, delicacy and lightness.  One of my favourite expressions is that “Viking Knit looks intricate and delicate yet is very strong – JUST LIKE YOU”.

I also anneal, forge and texture sterling silver and copper to create different pieces enhancing the shapes and textures in my work.  I love to play with new and different techniques in my work.  In 2014, I purchased a rolling mill and a more powerful torch. Fusing fine silver onto copper and sterling silver onto sterling silver is a recent investigation for me - some very interesting reticulation-type effects have emerged.  It is a very exciting adventure.