About
Traditional process meets modern adornment.
Metal has a number of characteristics that make it an ideal medium to work with. It’s strength and permanence can withstand the test of time but when heated, it becomes malleable and remarkably easy to manipulate with stamps, hammers, and a variety of steel surfaces. Best of all, it’s continually recyclable! My remnants, down to the tiny shavings, are collected and sent to a local refinery where they turn the scraps into new sheet metal and wire.
All of the design work, forming, and fabrication is entirely original and crafted by hand . I fashion sheets of metal into volumetric forms that become one of a kind accessories built to last, with potential to become future heirlooms. I’m a tool junkie with an extensive collection, consisting of repurposed steel railroad tracks, spikes, and miscellaneous hammer heads that have been converted into customized stakes with contoured surfaces. They offer a range of applications that assist me in producing original metal wares created through processes that help routinely hone my skills.
A common thread across cultures is that decoration tells a story. It’s an expression of personal style, often associated with social status in order to display what is believed to be sentimental. Traditional Native American designs painted on utilitarian pottery with shapes and patterns is a theme that has consistently influenced my creative concepts. The simplicity of repeated lines that come together in decorative arrangements is reflective of the rhythmic elements that are part of the creative processes.
Nature serves as a source of inspiration for my work. I love spending time outside on trails, river banks, and occasionally on the coast, where I get lost observing and collecting natural objects. Figurative elements of leaves, petals, and wing-like structures, combined with detailed pattern as texture are features of my signature styles. Each original creation is different from one piece to the next, thus, no two are ever the same and unique as the individual who wears it.
Meet the metalsmith
Interested in Getting Artsy?
The Craft Alliance, a non profit art education center that has been serving the St. Louis community through exhibition, education, and community programs for over 50 years. They partner with schools and community outreach programs that inspire and empower through hands-on creativity. Programs include ArtSmarts, Crafting-A-Future, Artists-In-Residence, School Residency Program, Emerson Family Saturdays
Registration for spring enrollment is currently open for classes and workshops in wood, metals, fibers, glass, and clay.
Inquiries or custom order requests?
Please let me know how I can assist you. It would be my pleasure to bring your inspiration to life!