When invited by curator Gail M. Brown to be part of her survey of american figurative jewelry (Attitude & Action! North American Figurative Jewelry) to open and travel in the U.K., my first response (after accepting, of course!) was to think, "Figurative? How can my work be figurative?"

I had only just settled into my new home in Sydney...however, my studio was somewhere on the high seas making its lumbering journey down here from the US. So, without tools, and without found materials in hand, I set about making my piece for the exhibition.

I took walks in my neighborhood for a week, picking up bits and pieces....a dashboard heater control...a broken windowpane...crushed cans...the ever-present gum nut...I then visited a friend's family farm where I was invited to browse through the old barn. Rust-covered and smiling, I emerged and set to work constructing my first 'portrait' using found materials. She is wearing earrings of her own, and holds a jewel aloft, clutched in her hand.

The piece was constructed using the bare minimum of tools..a hammer, pliers, a glass cutter, all bought from the local hardware store.