From a very young age two themes have run through my life -- crafting and a love of the water. As long as I can remember I have loved the water. Whether it's an indoor pool in a gym, the small island lake in southwestern Michigan where we spent the summers growing up, or the vastness of Lake Michigan or the ocean, I am most at peace in the presence of water. I've always been somewhat of a serial crafter -- beginning with popsicle stick trivets and glittery beaded Christmas ornaments in grade school, macramé and embroidered denim jackets in high school (what can I say, it was the seventies), crochet while studying design in college, metalsmithing and stained glass making in my 20s, to counted cross stitch, quilting, and finally, today, back to jewelry. My jewelry reflects my love of the water and of nature. Sea creatures, coral, plants, seeds, and watery textures are used in many of my pieces. The cool blues and greens of the Caribbean waters; the vivid hues of the sun setting over the ocean; the icy tones of Lake Michigan in the winter; these are the predominant colors of my work. I work in metal - chainmaille and silver clay, combined with beach and dichroic glass, CZs and semi-precious stones. My company name combines both themes -- Blue Boat, for my favorite sailboat, berthed on Lake Michigan in the far north Chicago suburbs, and Studios, for the variety of techniques I employ. I look forward to continuing to refine my craft, and I hope you enjoy my creations. |
