Art is my therapy. I love mixing metals and stones to craft stories, whether a unique custom piece, a collection, or to explore the process.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
Jewelry metalsmith work is my favorite type of art to create because it is intimate art. It doesn't get viewed from a distance like some; it lives on the body. It gains a patina from the wearer’s skin and travels through their life. To create art that is both technically complex and deeply personal is a journey I never tire of—and in a field with infinite methods to master, the adventure is never ending.
Where do you find inspiration?The visual world feeds my aesthetic but the limitless potential of the materials is what keeps me building, teaching, and creating. I find inspiration through instruction and am forced out of any creative ruts when a student asks, "what if". That curiosity sparks a fire to explore new materials and processes, which loops back to my own practice. Whether crafting a bespoke heirloom piece, demonstrating a technique to beginners, or developing my own collection, my inspiration is not static.
What would you do with $25,000?My days are spent pouring energy into the next generation of artists. The reality of being a public high school art educator is that our own creative practice often takes a backseat to the demands of the classroom. To maintain my second career as a metalsmith artist, I use my small in home studio to create while also teaching adult classes at a jewelry studio. With $25,000, I would bridge the gap between my two worlds by transforming my garage into a jewelry and teaching studio for my community.
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