Why I chose to support Greenville's Reedy River...

Almost every one of my artist statement's begins with "nature is my biggest inspiration."  Nature, rivers in particular, have fascinated me since I was a child learning how to whitewater kayak at Camp Illahee in Brevard, NC.  Since childhood, I have continued kayaking and worked for five years as a whitewater raft guide (Sands Wildwater) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Rivers have taught me my most valuable lessons.  They have taught me to think and act "responsively."  The slightest change on a river can create challenges, adventure and opportunities.  When life struggles come up, I envision the difficulty as a rapid and myself guiding through it.  

For my artwork, jewelry and drawings, I gather materials (literally) and inspiration from the outdoors.  I often mold natural objects (such as a twig), cast them into silver, bronze or gold and alter them into wearable art.  Through my art, I want people to look closer at the small wonders of nature like the lines in tree bark, the buds of a stem and the grit of a pebble.  As my business is growing, I am able to begin giving back to my world. 

This twig ring simply wraps around your finger.  The size is open, so it is adjustable.  It is stack-able and lovely alone. To give back, I have chosen to donate $25 of every sale of this ring in sterling silver ($125) or bronze ($100) to Greenville's local organization, "Friends of the Reedy River."  

I grew up in Greenville, as did my siblings, parents, grandparents, and you can keep going back generations... I remember the Reedy River from my childhood as being polluted and dangerous to be near.  Never would I have imagined how celebrated it is now.  As a Greenville native and resident, I feel it is my duty to help preserve, protect and continue cleaning our city's beautiful river.  I hope that my twig ring sales and donations can help us continue to cherish this feature. 

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. - Loren Eiseley