Interview Across the Sea to This Land

When I was in Iceland I did a 2-part interview for a shop in Charlotte, NC that carries my work, This Land. The interview stemmed from a fantastic conversation about the meaning of handcrafted that I had with Dan McCreedy of This Land in my Asheville studio last year and I'm very pleased with the series. I was asked great questions and, as always, enjoyed the challenge of articulating my thoughts for others to read. I had never really thought about what handcrafted means to me before and loved the chance to describe how Iceland influences my work. I also really like the introductions written by interviewer for This Land, Katey Schultz, a friend and writer from North Carolina. The studio pictures are quite lovely, too, all taken when I was still living in Asheville.

Additionally, whenever I do an interview not everything I say is used. When I was asked about memory and Iceland, Katey suggested I give a few detailed descriptions of compelling experiences. I sited my Grandi harbor experience, which was published, and the following account from one of my road trips, which was not included:


"I went on a 4-day road trip two weeks ago and drove along the south coast of the island from Reykjavík to Höfn. One of the places I stopped at was Dyrhólæy cliffs at Vík beach. This is a place I had never been to before, but had heard really good things, that it was very special. I spent some time on the cliffs looking down and out at the sea, watching the waves, feeling the wind, looking at birds and rock formations. Then I walked down to the water from above and walked around. I also just stood and watched the waves and the light and water glittering on the pebbled beach as the waves came in and out. It was striking and mesmerizing. I took lots of photos and made videos of the waves and collected many beautiful, rounded stones. I talked with my friend about what we were seeing and spent time just being quiet. When we left we agreed that it felt like time had just stopped or that it didn't even exist for us in those moments. There were other people on the beach then as well, but it felt like we were completely alone. It was an amazing experience."

Finally, here's a short paragraph about tradition and my teachers…

"Jewelry has been made for centuries and the basic techniques and tools remain unchanged. In 1998 I began learning from an incredible metalsmith, Barbara Crocker, whom I studied with privately. I learned my foundation skills from her and later went to college for my BFA. While I was in school, I studied under a master goldsmith, Mary Lee Hu, and apprenticed with another master metalsmith outside of the university, Lori Talcott, who later became a true mentor to me. Each teacher instilled in me the importance of excellent craftsmanship and a reverence for the traditions of our field. The work I make now is made using traditional techniques and tools. I enjoy the simplicity of the basics and find they provide a tremendous amount of room for innovation."

Thanks for reading.