People often ask me, “Where do your ideas come from?” I feel that part of my job as an artist is to pay attention, and so for lots of years I have been paying attention to the stages in my life and those of women around me, to the material culture of women in the exotic places where I’ve lived, and now to my quiet life and the natural world around me. The imagery of my work comes from taking a deep look at my life, responding to it, and reinterpreting it within jewelry and handbags.

People have also occasionally asked me, “Why don’t you make sculpture?” In my mind, sculpture just sits there collecting dust – you aren’t supposed to touch it. But a purse is personal: you engage with it. Every time you open your handbag to pull out your lipstick or phone, your life is enhanced by this exquisite, finely crafted container. Plus, it shows others what a marvelous person you are.