I am a studio jeweler, writer and educator. I was trained as a sociologist but I've been making jewelry, teaching and writing about craft for over thirty years. Much of my metal education took place in community-based schools such as the 92nd St. Y in New York during the thirty years that I lived in New Jersey. I worked extensively with Robert Ebendorf in the 1980s and most recently studied with Klaus Burgel. Now that I live in Philadelphia I continue to take workshops with noted international jewelers whenever I have the chance.
I am fortunate to balance my commitment to craft in several ways. In the last decade in my studio practice I have been exploring botanical themes, using sterling silver, vitreous enamel on copper, and mild steel. I work from life, from drawings, photographs and archival materials on botanical themes, such as William Morris wallpaper or the tiles at the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul. I am attracted by the insistent life force of plants and the unrivaled variety in form, color, and function of the plant world. Floral themes are part of the long history of jewelry, and some of my current work references that history. A recent solo show at Goldesberry Gallery, Houston, TX, called "Plant Lives" show-cased this inquiry.
Writing for craft publications is a large part of my professional life, as I am one of the few makers who also writes. In 1997 I curated the traveling exhibition The EnvironMENTAL Bead and produced a catalogue for which I wrote the essay. Beginning in 2011 I began my third term as Chairperson of the Editorial Advisory Committee for Metalsmith magazine, for which I have written over 50 articles. I was the juror and writer for 500 Brooches for Lark Books, and I have written numerous essays for international publications, most recently the introductory essay for a book on Rings, published in Spain.
I also teach workshops at various venues. In the past few years I've specialized in torch-fired enameling and designing for enamel jewelry. I regularly teach workshops from one day to two weeks in length and I consider my teaching to be an important part of my professional life. Having had the benefit of many caring teachers and mentors throughout my schooling I enjoy giving back and participating in the education of succeeding generations.
Like many artists I am also involved with my professional organization, the Society of North American Goldsmiths. In 2009 I worked with the Exhibitions committee on the conference that met in Philadelphia. I organized a jewelry runway show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with choreographer, dancers, musicians, and an audience of over 660 people.
My work is in the collections of the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC, The Newark Museum, Newark, NJ, and The Racine Art Museum in Wisconsin. I have received two fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.