at my bench with my jewelers saw
in the print shop!
Clover and I Day Hiking
My jewelry line emerged slowly. I graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor's Degree in Jewelry and Metals from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. I had about seven years, which I refer to as 'before craft', where I worked an office job and almost never touched my beloved tools or sheets of silver. Slowly, I found time to get my studio in order, designs started to flow in my head, my hands gravitated towards my tools and a small jewelry line came to being and I haven't looked back since.
I am someone who likes to get my hands dirty, wearing away fingernails as I hold metal objects which I sand, file, texture and enamel to make into a wearable art. Out of the chaos and loudness of metal banging on metal, torches hissing and tools whirling comes seemingly delicate, soft jewelry. Jewelry which seems simple, yet is rich in detail. Be it texture impressed by old hammers, power tools, a scribe in my hand or glass enamels added to give pops of color, or mixing metals to add a subtle detail.
My pieces are inspired by the outdoors. I love graffiti and moss equally, the texture of pavement and bark, the color of a brightly painted door and matching shutters are just as stunning as a field of wildflowers. My passions are represented in my jewelry, simply. through texture, shape and color I capture the gesture of birch peeling away or the roughness of shingles. I feel pretty lucky that I can take what my eyes see and use my hands to make a representation of that vision to get out into the world.
If you have stopped here before you likely noticed my business has a new name and logo. After a decade of making only jewelry I decided to open up to the idea of exploring new mediums, techniques and materials. Iris Noire Designs will be my place for creative exploration. Time spent at my drawing table, with things I collected on adventures will find their way onto paper, material and anything else I find. There’s always time to learn something new. Here begins the new adventure in art, or perhaps I am going back to where I started as an artist... …
As a child and teenager I drew for hours on end. My hands were always dirty with charcoal, graphite and pastels. Over the winter I got my sketchbooks out and started drawing and experimenting with watercolor markers. I came to realize that I felt at ease, something I had lost in the production of jewelry making, and decided I needed to get my drawings reproduced in some way. My need to be involved in the entire process of making led me to exploring relief printing. Using carving tools and ink brayers satisfies my need to get my hands dirty while making art. These images are have become stationery, editioned prints, decorative fabrics and hand-bound books. I am excited to finally expand my business after years of wondering if I could do it, I realized I sure as hell can.
When I'm not at my bench I am running, hiking, climbing rock walls, pretending I can do yoga and meditate, identifying wildflowers and photographing everything shiny that catches my eye. In December of 2017, I adopted this adorable pup, Clover. She is sweet, caring, sassy and a world class cuddler. Clover continues to amaze me, she is the friendliest of dogs, every person and animal is a potential new best friend, she knows the trail better than I do and can camp like a pro. We are working on her running with me, versus taking me for a run! With enough jerky we will get there.
I use my time outdoors as a way to reset myself. while pushing my body to find my physical limits I take time to notice the sun setting on water as I run another mile. Or wood sorrel growing in a patch of moss as I climb a steep section of trail. These moments nurture my spirit and fill my sketchbook.