I am a silversmith, goldsmith, and lapidary and work daily in my jewelry studio. I have a jewelry business www.isabeljewelry.com. My jewelry is hand wrought and elegant; I like to keep it in conversation with my painting and sculpture. Throughout my artwork I think about abstract concepts and designs and with jewelry I translate these to a tiny size. Each size scale has its own demands so it is interesting to cross borders of size and materials.

I am passionate about nature and spend long periods of time outdoors. I apply surface textures to my metal that recall abstract patterns and movements seen in the wild. And I use hammering techniques to capture and reflect sunshine. I like to cut regional stones for my work and specialize in jade found in the USA. I find gemstones allow for inspiration through refraction, crystalline patterns, societal legend and impacts. I began carving my own stones to be even more connected to my work.

I have experimented with a lot of techniques. Hammering and stamping, repousse’ relief work, “drawing” in metalwork by piercing and sawing, layering and laminating metals, stitching with wire, engraving patterns, etching designs, and creating boxes and hinges. I have also carved wax models to make sculptural pieces that are cast.