The Artist

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A self-taught artist from San Diego, my love for art started early. Here I am happily drawing something at the age of 5.  In my young years I loved coloring,  drawing and writing.  At the time  I had no idea it would be my direction in life.  That defining moment happened during a summer visit to San Francisco’s famous  “hippie district” Haight-Ashbury.  I had never seen anything like the  busy village. Both sides of the streets were lined with colorful  boutiques. The lively, festive market place was crowded with  smiling shoppers.  Every store was filled with tourists buying handmade trinkets from shop owners. The interaction between artists and customers was delightful and fascinating.    The idea of creating my own art for sale began when I stood there in that unforgettable bazaar.  It was so consuming that I graduated high school a year early and began making  my own baubles to sell to friends and their friends. The hobby continued through my college years.

After college, a business associate,  encouraged me to  create a jewelry collection for a New York City trade show.  The collection was, to my surprise, well received and was picked up by  several national accounts. As a national fashion designer,  I put together  six collections a year for the industry.   At the height of my career, my jewelry was featured in fashion magazines, and was showcased in stores such as Nordstroms, Bloomingdales and  Neiman Marcus.

It was exciting to design national collections, but it was also exhausting.  In 1990, I said goodbye to the business world and downsized. I set up  a home studio so that I could, again design for fun.  For almost a decade, I developed a career as a traveling artist  and participated in  venues such as  the Harvest Festivals and weekend craft shows.  My favorite events  each year were the summer  art festivals in Laguna Beach and the winter-summer craft shows in Palm Springs.

Earning a living as an artist was  enjoyable, but at times, difficult. Along the way, I went back to college and obtained an RN degree. I had always been amazed by the mechanics of the human body.  Returning to school to study the sciences was  educating and challenging.  Developing a career as  a nurse was worthwhile and rewarding in many ways.  It has definitely helped me survive the financial ups and downs of the art world.

In 2004, after years of participating in the California craft show circuit, I relocated  to the tranquil desert area  of Palm Springs.  The resort community has several outdoor markets which attract tourists from all over the world.  Making jewelry for these venues has again developed a national interest in my collection. Customers who return to the desert, year after year, have urged me to go on line.  As time permits, I will continue to add photos and collections to the website. In the meantime any suggestions you have, as always,  will be much appreciated.

A Few Craft Show Pictures

My Store on Wheels

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