My Mom Would Be Proud
May 2025
It took my mom a while to find herself and her artistic voice. Like me, she explored many different forms of creative expression before discovering the one that truly resonated.She painted, practiced calligraphy, went through a beaded flower phase, crafted intricate 3D decoupage art, mastered elaborate needlework, crocheted and knit obsessively, and even became an interior decorator. But it wasn’t until her mid-50s that she truly found her voice—as a jewelry designer. She began creating one-of-a-kind silver necklaces, pendants, rings, bracelets, and earrings, spending hours in her “happy place” designing, soldering, and polishing her pieces. She didn’t just make jewelry—she wore it, sold it, and taught others how to create it too. She was bold and fearless, unafraid to take a piece off her neck and sell it on the spot if someone admired it.
Like my mother, I’ve been creating since I was a child. I painted, drew figures, decorated dorm rooms with murals, quilted, knit, made beaded jewelry, and even designed dolls. I, too, was on a long journey to find the medium that truly expressed who I was. And just like her, it wasn’t until later in life—in my early 50s—that I found my authentic self and my true artistic voice. For me, it came through clay printing. There was something about the process that resonated deeply: the feel of the clay, the sense that the slab held its own history, and the depth and richness of the layered textures.
My mother and I shared more than a love for art—we shared a path. We both needed to live fully, with all of life’s ups and downs, before we could tap into something real and meaningful in our work. And when I finally did, a new world of creativity opened up for me—one that felt deeply genuine.
Recently, I showed my work at my first outdoor art fair, Art on the Square in Williamsburg, VA. Mid-afternoon, two event organizers walked into my booth and handed me a blue ribbon—I had won first place in the 2D art category. With tears in my eyes, I thought, “My mom would be so proud.”