I’ve been drawing and painting since I made designs with squashed peas and spilled milk on my high chair - it’s actually one of my first memories.  When I was three, I loved the Freddie Freihofer Show on WRGB TV in Schenectady, NY, which was an hour south of my Grandmother’s home in Glens Falls. The host, Uncle Jim Fisk, would yell out “Who wants to Squiggle?!!” and one lucky kid would get to go wild with a crayon on a big sheet of paper. Uncle Jim would study the drawing for a few seconds, then he would find all sorts of wonderful images in the squiggle, which he would outline in a contrasting marker. He found lions, fish, pirates, and all sorts of wonderful images that were hiding in plain sight – until Uncle Jim helped us to see them.

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My Wearable Art is a tribute to Uncle Jim’s ’ vision - I see all kinds of wonderful designs in random things, and I’ve been blessed to have a great job as a National Trainer for Mental Health USA, which has taken me to nearly every state in the Union  - I’ve been able to collect sea glass, seaweed, wood, minerals, and fairy stones from Quebec and Vermont. Closer to home, I’ve been inspired by the beautiful patterns in the shells of our humble Lake Champlain mussels.

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 I started making jewelry for a few reasons - as a “Statuesque” woman I loved “Statement Jewelry” but could never afford what I really liked. Second, as a person who traveled constantly for my job, I wanted something lightweight and packable, that could jazz up a simple outfit. Most importantly, I could celebrate the amazing designs I’ve been able to find in Nature. Happy to share my discoveries with you!