Meet the Artist

It could be my nearsightedness, but I’ve always been more focused on the micro-world; textures, tiny precious things, the universe under our feet, and objects from nature that fit in the palm of the hand for contemplation. I've been making stuff as long as I can remember, and I can't imagine a non-creative life - it always comes out somewhere.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University in Detroit and studied drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, but ultimately felt pulled toward metalsmithing and jewelry design because I love the intimacy and scale of small, personal and precious objects worn on the body, and the way humans have been decorating themselves across time and cultures. I also really enjoy the process of manipulating metal from a raw state into something beautiful and wearable. It feels like a form of meditation for my type A personality that craves productivity.

I like to see the mark of the maker in handcrafted jewelry, though I have a leaning toward “refined rustic” because I’m still a bit of a detail freak when it comes to finishes. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but I'm often drawn to Eastern motifs, antique textiles, botanicals and layers of texture, and I like incorporating a variety of stones, beads, old and ancient things, even the occasional found object in both delicate and bolder statement jewelry. A recent interest in high karat gold and natural dendritic agates which have beautiful nature-made patterns that mimic plant life has taken me in a new direction, as well. Always in evolution, as it should be.

I hope you find something you love here.

- Diane