Like many artist I've always had a creative side. However, for me the path into an art career wasn't always clear. When I was young I remember loving to paint, work with clay and create anything with my hands. As I approached high school my art interests were always there, but the logical side of me question what type of career I could find in art. In my early twenties I worked several clerical and cooporate jobs to find that it was definitely not the direction I wanted to keep going. So at the age of twenty three, I was off to college.
Initially I began down the path of Art Education, but the intensive studio classes were where my heart was at. So a year in, I decided to pursue a painting/drawing major. It wasn't until I was in my final year of painting/drawing studies that I took my first jewelry and metalsmithing course. I had been putting off the class as I was intimidated by the idea of a metasmithng studio and heard from many that it the most time intensive course. Well of course I immediatly fell in love with it. The entire process of taking a simple idea, designing on paper and turning it into a tangible object really captivated me.
In 2011, I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Since then I have been working full time creating my own jewelry and metalwork. I currently work out of my home studio located in the country side near Marquette, Michigan.
Oh and for fun, here are a couple of the pieces I created during my college years...
Copper Heart Door Knocker
Ornate Handcut Copper Magnifier
Shell Pocket Magnifier Set
In the studio at UWM.