Viola Kite Dangles

Artist Statement

I am inspired by the patterns, textures, and silhouettes that occur in nature. I combine precious metals, vitreous enamel, and gemstones to create beautiful and unique contemporary heirlooms. My work focuses on vitreous enameling, a process in which I fuse glass to metal in a kiln. I hand draw or paint delicate natural imagery onto the enamel, and often under-fire the top layer of glass to create textures that mimic those in nature such as sand, orange peels, or rippling water. I fuse gold foil into my enamels and use gemstones as accents to create pops of color against the monotone enamel color palette. When the enamels are complete, I hand fabricate settings in precious metals which serve to both protect and draw attention to the enamel itself.