Camouflage in the American West

Winner of the Gemstones category in the 2022 Jewelry Arts Awards; published 2023 Tucson Show Guide. Herringbone petrified wood paired with cloisonne moth on fine silver, in an argentium sterling silver setting with 24K gold details. Photo by Cole Rodger.

Fancy Guppy

The Grand Prize winner for Interweave's 2020 Jewelry Arts Awards, published on the front cover of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine Nov/Dec 2020 issue. The piece is a collaboration with fellow California artist and stone carver Jonathan Numer. He created the blue chalcedony carved tail, I fabricated the rest of the fish. The body is cloisonne on fine silver, in an argentium sterling silver setting. Photo by Cole Rodger.

Praying Mantis Captures Moth

The Grand Prize winner at IMJAA, on exhibit at 2019 Bead and Button Show, and published in the October 2019 Bead and Button magazine. The piece was inspired by the Australian variscite cabochon, made by my father. The moth is 24K gold cloisonne on fine silver, the mantis is fabricated using argentium silver with 18K gold details. Photo by Cole Rodger.

The Killdeer Mother

This necklace illustrates the cycle of parenting, starting with the killdeer egg clasp (enamel on copper), to the grown killdeer flying the nest. On exhibit at Adorned Spaces during the May 2019 SNAG conference in Chicago, the piece sold during exhibit.

North American Owls

The owl faces are cloisonne on fine silver, in a sterling silver setting with 18K gold details. On the back of each piece, is an etching of the environment in which each owl lives, and a typical prey animal. The owls included are the long-eared, eastern screech, great grey, northern saw-whet, barn owl. Photo by Cole Rodger.

My brooch "Koi Fish" was the First Place Winner in the Halstead Design Challenge 2018. It was part of the juried "Adorned Spaces" exhibition at SNAG Portland May 24-25, 2018. The piece sold during exhibition.

Cerulean Warbler (2018) - Cloisonné enamel on fine silver, sterling silver setting, rhodochrosite stalactite slices. Brooch/necklace combination (photo by Cole Rodger)

Blackburnian Warbler(2018) - Cloisonné enamel on fine silver, mexican fire opal, wood, sterling silver setting with 22K and 24K gold. Brooch/necklace combination (photo by Cole Rodger)

Yellow-throated Warbler (2018) - Cloisonné enamel on fine silver, Utah zebra stone, wood, sterling silver setting. Brooch/necklace combination (photo by Cole Rodger)

Nuthatch (2017) - Juried into the SNAG JAMS 2018 print exhibition: Cloisonné enamel, wood, tabasco geode "acorns" in a sterling silver setting (photo by Cole Rodger)

Spruce Grouse (2018) - Enamel decal on copper, etching, faceted citrine. Based on a photograph by Wilma McKenzie.

Warbler Brooches (2017) - Enamel decals from original pen and ink drawings. Enamel on copper, copper setting.

Sparrow Nest (2017) - Enamel decals on copper, etching, 24K gold details.

My piece "Laguna Beach Tidepool" was a Runner Up in the Halstead Design Challenge 2017. It was part of the juried show at RHINO Gallery in New Orleans from May 25 - June 21, 2017. The piece sold during exhibition. Photo by Cole Rodger.

Fox Brooch (2020) - Cloisonné enamel on fine silver, sterling silver setting. The tail is carved in Montana agate by California artist Jon Numer.

Great Grey Owl Necklace (2017) - Cloisonné enamel on fine silver, sterling silver setting, Dendritic opal from Turkey

Great Horned Owl (2017) - Cloisonné enamel body with a matching pair of petrified oak cabochons for the wings.

Double Barn Owls (2017) - Cloisonné enamel, fossil mammoth tooth, pietersite; beads are labradorite and agate.

Song Sparrow Necklaces (2016) - One paired with Sky Cloud turquoise, the other sparrow pair is combined with Alaskan coral and citrines.

Barn Owl and Snowshoe Hare (2016) - Cloisonné enamel on fine silver, one paired with fossil Mammoth tooth, the other with Turkish dendritic opal. Snowshoe Hare accent stones are sodalite and smoky quartz.

On exhibit at the Bead&Button Show June 9 - June 12, 2016; In the print edition of Bead & Button Magazine, October 2016 edition.

Cherry Blossoms - cloisonné enamel on fine silver in double-sided argentium silver bead settings, grey cultured pearls, tourmaline bead accents.
Photo by Cole Rodger
Size is 30" length

Second Place in Handmade Beads & Buttons

Flora and Fauna in Copper and Leather - These loose beads are constructed of pierced and domed sterling (some etched or textured) over colored leather and hairy cow hide, in a copper bead setting. Appearing in the print edition of Bead & Button Magazine, October 2016 edition.

Moths of North American - From the top left, Agapema dyari - real moth photo by Kirby Wolfe; Royal Walnut (Citheronia regalis) - real moth photo by Caitlin LaBar; Polyphemus (Antheraea polyphemus) - real moth photo by Dave Huth; Imperial (Eacles imperialis) - real moth photo by Michael Hodge; Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja); Goldenrod Flower (Schinia nundina); Green Leuconycta (Leuconycta diphteroides) - real moth photo by Ken Childs; Giant Leopard (Hypercompe scribonia) - real moth photo by Basal Ylem; Xanthopastis regnatrix - real moth photo by Carol Wolf; Harris Three Spot (Harrisimemna trisignata)

Older Work

Porch Light (2016) - cloisonné enamel on silver, copper etching, brass frame. This porch was inspired by the porch of Blaney Lodge at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Pennsylvania.

Mourning Dove, Mission Blue Butterfly - These brooches are constructed of Ninomiya enamels on fine silver. The backs are etched sterling. The preening mourning dove includes a real feather (naturally molted into my garden fountain). The Mission blue butterfly is lined in white rabbit fur to mimic the fuzzy "hairs" on the real insect. The butterfly received Honorable Mention in the 2014 MASSC "Metal Extinction" Exhibition.

Wildlife Brooches