Inspiration comes to me from many corners of my life. I was recently tagged in a 'blog tour' by Amy Tavern, a friend and fellow metalsmith. I have admired Amy's work for many years--not only the end products themselves, but the process that she works through to get there. In more recent years, Amy has branched out in her use of materials and media, bringing her work and concepts to new levels. She recently completed a journey to northern Europe and residency in Iceland.

You can find her blog here and her blog tour post here.


Now, onto a few more blogs that I turn to for inspiration. As I said, inspiration comes to me from many corners. The blogs I read generally have little to do with my own artistic practice--I read them because they bring me joy or beg me to be more introspective with myself. I learn from them. I find comfort in them.



Jillian Lukiwski is a fellow metalsmith (The Noisy Plume) and friend who I have been in touch with for a few years now. Not only do I love Jillian's use of materials and imagery in her metalwork, but in her photography as well. I find so much vibrancy in her words and images--I often save time just to sit and soak it in. If we could all live life the way this firecracker does, the world would be a very different place.

You can find her blog here.




Brittany Chavez is a friend from Oregon College of Art and Craft that I met a few years ago. One thing I love about Brittany is her openness. She is a photographer and writer and has this spectacular talent of being able to make the mundane beautiful. Her writing is honest and vulnerable, often exposing things that people won't normally talk openly about. It is like a breath of fresh air.

You can find her blog here.


Sonya Scott is an incredible metalsmith and designer from Australia. In 2010, she curated a show called Reality Vs. Illusion for which I made three lockets. Sonya has an incredible design sense, and her work is subtle and effective. Her most recent exhibition work, Dripstone, tackled personal subjects beautifully and I cannot wait to see what she creates next.

You can find her blog here.

Thank you for reading!

Real life has been filled with many things...

Friends, who have barbecues, house warming parties, and surprise me multiple times for my birthday.

Gardening, where I find myself in constant battle with rose bushes, and hoping that my baby veggies will grow big and strong.

Adventures with my hubby where we play with horses or climb up hills to the almost-tippy-top.

Running, yoga, and the gym (need I say more? All that thesis energy has to have somewhere to go!)

And work, which is never just one simple job for me but usually the layering of 2-3 different jobs. I prefer to think about the more fun things.

Soon, there will be studio time added into this mix. I don't know how, but it will be.

You can find more here.

A couple of weeks ago, the Thesis class from OCAC met up at the site for our off-site exhibition to pick out our spaces for the show. Very exciting stuff--I'm looking forward to showing in this space and being surrounded by fantastic artists!

JUNCTURE opens May 16 at NW 10th & NW Hoyt in Portland, OR. The opening will be from 6-10 pm, and the show will run May 17-31, 11-6 pm daily.

I've had two wonderful photo shoots with my dear husband the past couple of days, and had to laugh at this photo because my pupils are two different sizes! Guess that's what happens with different lights and flashes. Luckily, David Woody is a whiz with post-production work and I know my photos will turn out fabulously. These were all taken with pieces from Refrain on the body--the work will be photographed separately in a couple weeks. Stay tuned!

It's all wrapping up, winding down. Not quite the end, but the end to a lot of things. The pieces have been made, the paper is written. There are no more meetings. Experimentations are done. There is a sense of both relief and disbelieving panic at the same time.

On Monday, I start installing my work in the Hoffman Gallery at OCAC for my first Thesis show (one of three), which opens on Wednesday. I'll have my Orals Defense on Thursday (to be followed by many celebratory drinks), followed by a public presentation on May 13, off-site exhibition (JUNCTURE) opening May 16, and graduate show at the Hoffman Gallery opening on May 17. Let the last of the whirlwinds begin!!

I will have much more to share about the actual work in my Thesis soon. I had a fantastic photo shoot with my husband, David Woody, today with the pieces on, and they will be photographed again in May. Overall, I'm thrilled with the pieces and the process I have undergone. I honestly could probably have written my thesis paper for months to come, and when I look back at my research, I find myself continually inspired. It's an incredible feeling.

In the meantime, if you want to see more of my process, head over to my Instagram!