Welcome to short puppy design. This website is a place where I can share my jewelry designs, photography and other craft projects. I also plan to use this place to “think out loud”.
A little about me:
I’ve been drawn to art/craft/creating/making for as long as I can remember. Most of my early attempts to “create” were short lived since being an “artist” was not something you aspired to in my family. That all changed when I had the good fortune to be able to take an art course my senior year of high school. The art teacher, Joyce Sheets, was a real inspiration and really encouraged me to push the boundaries and conventional thinking and find my voice. I want to thank her for providing the inspiration to see the act of creating as a worthwhile option. But after graduation, that “voice” was soon drowned out the other voice in my head telling me that I needed to find a “real job”. Finally, after a stint in the Navy and 30+ years in the health care field I have finally learned to drown out the “responsible” voice or a least turn it down to a low whine. Over the last few years I have started to focus on developing my muse and trying to find my unique voice.
Jewelry:
I have been making jewelry on and off for 30 years (mostly off). I am primarily self-taught but I have had the opportunity to take a few jewelry classes at both The New School/Parsons School of Design and at Studio Jewelers Ltd. in NYC. I work mainly in sterling silver but have recently started to work with copper, bronze, brass and iron. I also work with semi-precious stones and have expanded my definition of semi-precious to include anything that is unique. I am really drawn to wabi-sabi, decay, rust, patina, abandoned spaces and the ravages of time. My jewelry is not shiny bling but rather patinaed and a little rough around the edges.
Other craft:
I find it hard to only stick to one medium and I feel the need to experiment in other areas not related to jewelry. I have so many design ideas that involve materials other than metal. I have worked in clay, watercolors, silkscreen printing, wood and my new found passion sewing.
The future:
I have finally been able to see that life is the journey and not the arrival at a destination. The goal is to move; to run, skip, hop, crawl, swim and fly on the path where ever it leads. There will still be lots of bumps and wrong turns during the journey but also sunny days and close companions to share the joy.
