For all their austerity, I find the deserts of the Western United States a beautiful wonderland of nature. The awesome uncluttered arid spaces are studded with some of the most beautiful flora on earth. The colors range from muted earth tones to vibrant jewel like hues; and the desert at night sparkles like diamonds.

Art to me has always been an expression of colors and textures. I love the Impressionist paintings. In 1997 I bought a lampworked bead from a glass artist and found a medium that allows me to bring the southwestern deserts to life in the form of art beads and ultimately jewelry.

My jewelry and glass beads are all about color and texture found in the deserts of the southwest including those wonderful blooms. I add metals to the glass to get desert colors, and I incorporate hand fabricated metals that have been textured for tactile interest. Working with these materials and gaining inspiration from nature is very exciting. I like to put these elements together is a piece of jewelry that is somewhat abstract yet wearable.

I now make glass beads and unique jewelry full time in my home studios in Dayton, OH and Tucson, AZ. I established a business that sells both my jewelry and beads – Desert Bloom Designs. I am proud to say that my art jewelry can be found in select boutiques throughout the United States.