Seeking Secret Gardens and Such.

A walkthrough of inspiration for the Sanctum Collection.

In a chaotic world, I seek spaces that induce a sense of serenity and enchantment. My Sanctum collection evokes such refuges in a series of miniature wonders; each evocative of a tiny oasis that grants access to a meditative realm. From the tingling intrigue that beckons one toward the entrance of a portal or passageway, to the sacred quiet found in the confines of a hidden garden or crystal cave, I am endlessly drawn to the mystique of otherworldly domains.

While it's impossible to touch upon all my sources of inspiration for this ongoing body of work in one blog post, here are a few categories of influences:

FAIRY HOMES

I spent endless hours of my childhood constructing little dwellings for the fae. Nothing enchanted me more than the idea that unseen worlds hummed with lore and mystery at the periphery of human experience. I've traded leaf scraps and twigs for metal and gems, but the fascination persists.

GATES & DECORATIVE IRONWORK

Something charms me about utilitarian elements of the built environment that exhibit aesthetic consideration. Critical tomes could analyze the interesting and fraught historiographical significance of such spatial barriers, but I find the scrolls, loops, and twists of such imagery ripe for translation into jewelry motifs; symbolic of the borders between the "real" world and magical realms--which I believe to be much more porous than most people accept.

KNOTHOLES & ROCK FORMATIONS

Natural alcoves and hollows ring with the lure of the imagined. Whether such pockets of this earth house crystals, squirrel families, or enigmas, their recesses beguile and beckon me. What could be more captivating than moss shrouded shelters for small creatures, or hidden hoards of glittering treasure formed on timescales beyond our lifespans?

ANCIENT RUINS

In 2018, I travelled with my dad to Ireland to see the house where his grandmother grew up. Our visits to historic abbeys and fortifications left me with goosebumps. Arches, niches, and wonder abounded. The stonework vignettes--literal windows into past lives--have not left me since that journey.