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 Karen was first inspired to be a jeweler when, as a child of four, she collected pretty pebbles and sea shells on the shores along the Pacific Coast. She first studied jewelry making and design at the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. After a short mentorship with Jima Abbott of Mendocino, California, she set up studio in a room in her home and attended classes at the Revere Academy of Jewelry in San Francisco. In 1990, she and her husband purchased 20 acres overlooking a canyon on the west slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, with the vision of turning the land into a creative art center. She immediatly began planning a separate studio, but as an artist with the mind of a perfectionist, she needed time for her vision to form. In the meantime, she and her husband built an arts & crafts revival home where she situated her studio. Seven years later, she completed her vision of the ultimate studio for a jewelry artist. Here, under the pines, combining complementry metals and precious stones, she is inspired by the nature around her to create the exquisite pieces you see here. |
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