“Colour and pattern have always been hugely important to me. The hundreds of shades of green in the bush, the patterns a lizard makes running over a sand dune or the bands of colours on a fish, the colours in the bark of a tree or the shapes of coral all inspire me in my jewellery work.”

I started jewellery making in 2003, as a form of relaxation and counter-balance to my regular job of Director of the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct. Born in South Australia, I spent my holidays between the sea and the hot sand dunes in South Australia. The rock-pools were a constant source of fascination, where I could wander for hours, just taking it all in. Early morning walks along the beach always brought new delights, like huge abalone shells, or minute, transparent orangey-pink ‘angels wings’.

My jewellery has always been hugely influenced by a sense of place and my environment. I work mostly in sterling silver and semi-precious stones such as turquoise, peridot, aquamarine, garnet or citrine. I design with less ‘worked’ stones, preferring the more organic look of rough-cut or tumbled stones, rather than a more symmetrical cut.

This organic look also follows through in the silverwork I incorporate into my pieces, which is often beaten, cold-connected or hand-shaped.

Most of my work has a story attached, to give people some idea of what was going through my mind as the piece was conceived and developed.

Found objects, particularly those found on the sea shore, are often incorporated into my work. I especially enjoy working with sea glass, shells or shell fragments and beach pebbles.

Currently in development is a range of jewellery linked to landscape and specific localities in various parts of Australia, such as the Coorong, the Central Desert, Broome, Darwin’s Arafura Sea, Adelaide’s Chain of Ponds, and the northern Wheatlands.

I have recently returned to study, in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft at tafeSA, specialising in jewellery (silversmithing.)