Signature style

People often ask what my signature design is and I'm usually at a loss. I don't like to be pigeon-holed into a "label" because I tend to go through phases. I'm I'm not usually gung-ho about any one thing for very long, so for me to still be working within the same genre of creativity is a first for me. One of the things that keeps my job interesting is the variety of materials I have available for designs and all the different techniques. Stringing, wirework, metalsmithing (forming and soldering with a torch), stained glass (cutting, grinding, & soldering with an iron), PMC, lampwork, the list goes on.

That being said, since we moved to Delaware I have used a lot of sea glass in many of my designs. I especially like to use this stuff in the spring and summer because it reminds me of beach vacations. I started out by wrapping it in wire, then learned to bezel-set (which is labor intensive but I'd like to get back to that). Later I figured out how to drill holes in it and now Steve does that for me (sweet man). My favorite colors are Coke bottle green and cobalt blue, but I also like beer bottle green because it's more common and really stands out against the sand.

One of my favorite designs that I have been doing for a few years is the pavé pendant, a mosaic of beads embroidered across a wire frame. Pavé means "paved" in French and is a traditional stone-setting technique where a surface is covered in small stones.

Another signature of mine is wirework, whether it's hair-thin wire crocheted into a delicate chain or heavy gauge wire manipulated into swirls and links. I never get tired of learning new things with such a basic medium.

So to answer the question about my signature style, I usually bring up the fact that my designs are each one-of-a-kind on purpose because my style is fluid and always developing.