Artist Statement
As a child, my happiest hours were spent outdoors. Armed with our "Little Golden" field guides, nets, and magnifying glasses, my sister and I became steeped in the visual and tactile vocabulary of beetles' legs, butterfly antennae, tadpoles hatching in our hands, and which leaf makes the best boat (magnolia).
The floodgates of creativity were opened, and further honed by a university major in graphic design. My ever expanding field of influence include evolutionary biology, the structure of sound, sacred geometry, insect architecture, the arts & crafts movement, and Japanese prints.
All of these and more continue to influence my design process, which begins with drawing and can include wax carving, casting, constructing from sheet and wire, and kiln firing glass. It is complexity of process and technique seeking that place of quiet stillness and perfection in classic simplicity of form. The mindset is one of constant striving, always pushing forward beyond the comfort zone of the known; the results are what you see here.
My work has received numerous awards including London's DeBeers Diamonds International and Tokyo's International Pearl Design Competition.
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2006 - Best of Show - $3000 - Habitat for Humanity Birdfest Auction- Winston-Salem, NC.
2003 - American Crafts Council Spotlight 2003 Southeast Region Annual Juried Exhibition, Blue Spiral 1 Gallery, Asheville, NC
2001 - First Place in Metals- $1500 - Winter Park Florida Sidewalk Art Festival.
2000 - Cedar Creek Award of Excellence- Carolina Designer Craftsmen- Raleigh, NC.
2000 - Sunoco Award of Merit - Columbia Art Museum - Columbia, SC.
1998 - Haywood County Arts Council Regional Projects Grant - $500, Waynesville, NC.
1994 - Purchase Award - Atlanta Arts Festival - Atlanta, GA.
1990 - Best of Show - Dogwood Arts Festival Fine Crafts Festival, Knoxville, TN.
1987 - Certificate of Merit - North & South American Continents - DeBeers Diamonds International Design Competition - London
1987 - Fourth Prize - 15th Annual Pearl Design Competition, Tokyo.
1986 - Third Prize - Citra Trading Company Pearl Design Competition, New York.
1985 - Certificate of Merit - North & South American Continents- DeBeers Diamonds International Design Competition, London.
1985 - Bronze Prize in Rendering - 13th Annual International Pearl Design Competition, Tokyo.
1984 - Honorable Mention - 12th Annual International Pearl Design Competition, Tokyo.
1984 - International Gold Corporation, First Place in Rendering-Student Division, New York.
1983 - Third Prize - Fine Jewelry - Inamori International, Los Angeles.