The subtitle of my shop is Southwest Jewelry with a Twist. I chose that because I live in the southwest surrounded by Puebloans, Navajo, Hopi and Zuni, and I am inspired by their various arts and deeply influenced by them. But I don't pretend to represent their art making. I'm not a silver smith. I don't make my beads by hand. I'm a beader who loves stone. Many of my pieces have a Native vibe because of where I live. I incorporate Native pendants and bench beads when I can and I use a lot of the materials they use. But I mix them up with beads from all over the world into a mix that is uniquely mine. Thus, Southwest Jewelry with a Twist. I happened upon jewelry as a natural forward-moving process I suppose. I'm a painter by trade but my health took away my ability to paint for several years. Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time know I have a deep love of stone. And beading was a creative act I could accomplish without as much energy output as painting.