I’m a jewelry artist living in New Boston, NH and recently retired from a forty-year career in public education. Over the years I’ve worn many “hats” including teacher, counselor, middle school principal and school district administrator. About fourteen years ago I decided to revisit working with metals. I met a silversmith from the League of NH Craftsmen who took me on as a student for a few years. Now she tells me, “You’ve graduated!” We now collaborate as colleagues and continue to learn from each other. Metalsmithing provided me with the opportunity to do something energizing and gave me a much needed escape from what were often very chaotic, stressful days. Now that I’m retired, I have time to focus on my craft. I work primarily in sterling silver, but also do mixed metal design using copper, brass and gold.  Recently, I’ve incorporated collage into my jewelry using Nepalese and Japanese papers inspired by kimono patterns. Inspiration for my designs comes from the organic flowing lines of nature, as well as the structural lines of architectural forms. I incorporate natural gemstones, pearls and art glass into my pieces. The design always evolves through the fabrication process – it’s never done until it’s done!  I am drawn to the problem-solving and the challenge of transforming ideas into a final product! My work is always evolving as I learn new ways to work with metal and paper to create unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry.