About "Etruscan Vermeil" ™ |
The Unconflicted Stones ™Since early childhood I’ve been collecting and gathering organic objects from all over the world. Anything of decidedly Darwinian descent peaks my curiosity; stones, arrowheads, sea shells, abandoned bird's nests...all have influenced my designs over the past 43 years . The somewhat Bohemian dichotomy of my childhood, divided between the beaches, forests and excitement of Southern California and the mountains and solitude of Idaho, served to foster my imagination. Being surrounded by a bevy of successful and talented aunts also inspired me and helped cement my work ethic. 'If you want something, you have to WORK for it' was our family mantra...and so I did. I am a self-taught artist, not a classicly-trained jeweler and I've been experimenting with these organic, 'Unconflicted Stones' and found-objects, transforming them into what I lovingly describe as 'Adornment as Art' since 1973. For over 30 years my work has found a home at the Sun Valley Lodge Gift Shop in Sun Valley, Idaho...an honor I do not take lightly. From here, my work travels all over the world again with its new owner. For this reason, I have coined the phrase 'The Unconflicted Stones" ™ to describe my passion as an artist to translate my creative energies into a body of work that pays respect and homage to our Earth...without further depleting her precious resources. I do not use endangered stones, corals, or ivories, preferring lab-grown or synthetic materials whenever possible to gently mimic Nature, without harming her. My goal is to transport the wearer back to ancient times, using the French technique of 'trompe l'oeil'...to literally 'fool the eye' into believing the piece is a priceless antiquity. This is my version of 'smoke and mirrors', often combined with humor and whimsy. My favorite designs are 'amulets' (pendants) worn around the neck as in ancient times to protect the wearer from harm.” We all make decisions everyday which impact the World around us; what we grow, what we discard; what we take away and most importantly, what we give back. Personally, I try to give back more to the Earth than I take away. When you purchase a piece of my artwork, you can feel assured that it is as 'unconflicted' as possible because...
“what goes around your neck comes back around our World."
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