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In Istanbul, once the ancient Byzantine city of Constantinople, I spent endless childhood hours of discovery and make-believe along the shores of the Bosporus and the ancient city walls. Uncovering buried treasure, shards of ceramic and (sometimes) glass Amphorae gifted themselves to my young fingers. These ancient, sensuous, double-handled vessels were used in great numbers for transporting and storing oil and wine. This collection of work is inspired by my fascination with these graceful vessels and the secrets they held.
Each ring in this group incorporates three arcs to encircle the human finger. The arc shape which holds a gemstone at the top of each ring flows forward and then gently back into a third arc, which hugs the base of the finger to provide balance.
In Britain, Druids walked the 'Old Tracks' - pathways that crisscrossed the land. Called Ley Lines, these pathways were considered energy routes or currents in the earth. Represented in ancient Celtic art as knot work patterns, they resemble luminous ribbons of light. Seekers still walk the Ley Lines to find realignment in their own energies.
Having had the good fortune to be "dragged around the world" by my parents at a young age, I was exposed to a wide variety of artistic influences. The architecture and magical decorative patterns of ancient Athens and Rome have stayed with me and deeply influence the lyrical quality of these pieces.
The cross finds its roots in prehistory as a symbol of Divine order, consecration and protection.
The Alpine "Flower of Love" is the adopted symbol for the village of Leavenworth. Native to the high Alps of southern Europe, there is an old legend that if a woman receives an Edelweiss as a gift from a male admirer, she will know that his love is true. To carry his message of love, the man must climb to nearly unreachable heights to pick this rare flower.
I have created my Edelweiss jewelry as a tribute to this gesture of true love.
The Art of Origami, learned as a child while living in Japan, is the inspiration for this design group.
Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.
Rumi
"Heavy Metal" 'Nuff said!
The Jacobite White Rose has long been a symbol of Scottish Independence. Prince Charles Edward Stuart picked a wild white rose for his bonnet on the march toward England with his Jacobite troops. Today, it still acts as a powerful symbol for many Scots, both for its own beauty and as an enduring symbol of Scottish pride and freedom.
The Moiré group is sensual and contemporary. The fluid nature of this design group feels alive to me and is drawn from the flowing movement of water. Moiré is a French word which describes a silk fabric with a rippled or 'watered' and shimmering appearance.
Into the lines of the Moiré rings, I have incorporated my signature angled shank which is so comfortable to wear.
Shimmering ripples on water photo by J. Lee Hutchins
My Leavenworth home is located deep in the eastern foothills of Washington State's Cascade Range. The richness of life in the mountains and the beautiful natural tapestry which surrounds me, provides the inspiration for my mountain rings and pendants.
The Möbius band (or Möbius Twist) was originally named for the German mathematician August F. Möbius in 1905. It is a dynamic, three-dimensional, flat-sided circle which has only one surface — the outside turns to become the inside, which then twists to become the outside again.
My version of this form incorporates a gentle angling which is very comfortable when worn on the hand. I make my Möbius and split Möbius rings in two weights to suit a variety of tastes.
Omega is the 24th and last letter in the Greek Alphabet and literally means "great O" (mega meaning great). My Omega design group is inspired by the symbol for Omega, Ω , the sweeping arms of the form rising to embrace a gemstone.
Omega is also used in Christianity, as a part of the Alpha and Omega metaphor, and is seen in many Illuminated Manuscripts, transcribed and decorated by early Christian monks.
There is a strong Norse influence in northern Scotland, owing to ancient Viking settlements. This misty landscape is peppered with a legacy of standing stones, many inscribed with the Runic alphabet of ancient Norse. The word "Rune" means "hidden secret" or "mystery" in the Scandinavian and Gaelic languages. In this ancient alphabet, each of the letters possessed a symbolic meaning as well as a sound. Runes were used for writing, poetry, inscriptions and for divination.
This water sprite haunts the deep river pools and lochs of Celtic Lands. Shape-shifting and seductive, it appears on land as a fine and majestic horse. It is said to lure potential mates onto its back, then spirit them away to its watery home.
Once one has felt the touch of a waterhorse, there is not much chance of letting go.
"All of us are waves
on the ocean of divine consciousness"
Swami Kriyananda
Wild and beautiful, these roses, called Nootka roses in the Pacific Northwest, grow abundantly in forests and along rural roadsides in Washington State's Cascade Mountains. The Native Americans for whom they were named used them as food and medicine. Loving their strong yet delicate beauty, I created the model for my wild mountain rose by studying the Nootka roses that grow near my home in Leavenworth.