Artist Statement

At the age of fiftysomething, while working for a large engineering firm as a Project Manager, I began having headaches. The headaches were so severe that one day I passed out during a meeting with HR. At the time, no one knew the cause of this episode, but after a very long and difficult search for answers, I was diagnosed with Hemiplegic Migraines. Thus began my health issues and my search for answers. 
 

You'd think knowing the problem would make finding a solution relatively easy. But no... I ended up with a doctor more interested in experimenting on his patients rather than help them. His experiments eventually led to my Traumatic Brain Injury after he improperly injected an experimental drug directly into my spine, causing a series of strokes.

I finally found the right doctor, and I credit him with saving my life. Despite the damage to both hemispheres of my brain, he led me through a rehabilitation process to teach my brain the neuroplasticity that I needed to become a functional person again. During my extensive treatment with him, one day I was wearing a beaded chain with a pendant on it, which I had made. He asked if I'd made anything before, but I had not. He told me to keep it up. Three months later, I had made endless and more complex designs. I made so much jewelry, I had to give it away. I quit counting after I created over 2000 individual pieces.  

From beads to sterling silver to fine jewelry, I moved into art photography, leather work, metal work, and resin designs. I even dabble in landscape design now!