The Sanctuary collection was designed to manifest calm from within. It was created to instill a sense of quiet no matter the external challenges or chaos.

I created the two dynamic shapes in this collection in an unusual way. They emerged out of a new process which I have never used before. First though, let me go back to the initial inspiration. This is two part. There was inspiration in how I made the pieces but also there was inspiration for the intention of the pieces.

Let’s start with the intention: When the stay at home order for COVID-19 was implemented, it got me thinking about notions of Home and Sanctuary. How the stay at home order forced us to be at home all the time and how suddenly this notion that for me meant safety and security now was fraught with frustration and the itch to leave. To help keep myself sane I started painting and soon found I was painting my home over and over and over. There again I began to question my understanding of what home meant.

I am lucky, I was stuck at home where home has space, a yard, room to breath, my studio, I was “stuck” with a wonderful partner and two cutie animals. But what if that hadn’t been how my home, was what it were a tiny studio apartment, or had no yard, or worse yet what if I was stuck at home with an abuser?

All these big questions fueled my notions of home and ideas around ways to find it within yourself so the external nonsense which you cannot control, couldn’t touch your inner sanctuary.

It was here that spark for the Sanctuary Collection was lit.

Process: Usually I am stimulated to create jewelry via a visual impetus. Either my sketch book, a building, a painting, something of visual of that sort. But this collection seemed to emerge from my unconscious. And the conduit to creating these pieces was play.

I had spent some afternoons talking to a good friend about her jewelry making process. (She draws and then carves her doodles in wax, which are then cast into metal.) This inspired me in my process and while I didn’t use wax, I thought about doodling with wire. So I did. I spent a couple hours playing at my bench and came up with several unique shapes: some of which became the Haven and the Shelter Earrings.

Below are some of my metal “doodles"

Here are some designs that haven’t (yet) made the cut.

I truly love the result of the play doodle experiments, I think the Haven and Shelter earrings are two of my most favorite and unique designs.

Initially I had the Shelter earrings as a matching set but while playing with them on my bench (before I had soldered on the posts) I realized they would be more dynamic if I made them asymmetrical.

I am also endlessly please that they work well when wearing a mask.

I discovered the asymmetrical nature of the Haven earrings only after wearing them for a while. I realized you could pull them through to the second curve and they would hang differently and I love the idea that you can get three different earrings out of one set.

I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes into my process. Let me know your thoughts on what Home means to you in the comments below.

Making of The Sanctuary Collection