When I am designing my jewelry pieces I most often think of the time when I was in the United States Navy and the different places I have seen and experienced. The water from the ocean, the clouds and different landscapes and also different cultures. The casting methods I use are most often cuttlefish bone and tufa casting. Cuttlefish bone is from the sea and when used in casting has the look of the water and the endless distance that I have seen from a carrier surrounded by nothing but water while in the Navy. I add stones that resemble the landscapes and clouds that I have seen while at sea, sometimes for over a month at a time. I woke up to the sea and went to sleep with the sea as my front and backyard. Thus, using the sea and the water as an inspiration for my pieces is foremost in creating as well as my traditional background from growing up in the Pueblo of San Felipe. My jewelry pieces are my life experiences and overall, a story of my life.
