Meet Barbara
Hi! Thanks so much for visiting my website! I feel so fortunate to be able to do what I love and make people happy at the same time. In addition to making jewelry, I enjoy teaching, and about four times a year I hold metal clay workshops in the Prescott AZ area. Having moved here two years ago, I am loving my new town and feel grateful for the amazing people who have made me feel welcome. The people I’ve met at the fine arts shows I’ve participated in, and my new affiliations with other artists and art organizations, give me a sense of belonging and excitement about my future in Prescott AZ!
About My Jewelry:
I make jewelry because I love it, it gives me a deep sense of accomplishment and it can be very therapeutic. If I was to describe my work, I would include words like whimsey, playful, fun, passionate. My work is different, and I’m not one to follow fashion or jewelry trends. I try to make what brings a smile to someone’s face, warms their heart and reminds them of the things and places they love. I also love to share my process with people I meet at art shows. Despite the fact that I am no long a member of the “formal” teaching community, the teacher in me just won’t settle down. I hope to get my metal clay classes going again in my new town.
My Backstory:
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, the daughter of two artists, I have always had an unquenchable desire to make. While attending Santa Barbara High School in the 70’s, I learned to fabricate sterling silver jewelry in jewelry making class. I continued to grow my skills through my college years and enjoyed wearing and gifting what I made. While attending UC Santa Barbara as an art student, I spent many hours in the ceramics lab, ending up with a degree emphasis in ceramics. I was able to learn art theory and fundamentals of design and am able apply them to my jewelry making today.
After college, life’s challenges and responsibilities took over and I eventually put the tools away. They sat in dusty boxes, moving from place to place with me and luckily, never ending up in my annual yard sale. I knew that one day I’d free them from their confined space to once again be used to turn metal and stone into wearable works of art. In 2009 I broke out the old tools and started brushing up on my fabrication skills, making a few simple pieces.
In 1985 I joined the teaching profession and for the last twenty-two years of my career, I directed the technology program at my school. One day, an art teacher at my school gave me a dried up piece of precious metal clay
After re-hydrating it and torch firing my first piece, I knew I had found my new passion. My love of ceramics and metal fabrication had found a perfect union with metal clay! It was time to create jewelry again. Sweet Cedar Jewelry Design went into business in the spring of 2010. I set up Dad’s pride and joy, a desk that his dad made for him, to use as my jeweler’s bench. Dad and Grandpa would be overjoyed to see me using this fabulously functional piece of furniture, which Grandpa made by hand for his son. Grandpa was particularly good with his hands and loved using tools, like me.
So, you might be wondering about my line of dog lover’s jewelry. As a dog agility enthusiast for over ten years, I became acquainted with lots of dog lovers, and they began ordering necklaces with their dog’s name stamped in fine silver. Orders blew up, so I decided to go into business. I still visit my friends at agility shows with my latest dog theme pieces. Now gone, my dogs of choice back then were Black Labs, and my business is named after Sweet Cedar, one of my beautiful Labs. Clover, her little sister, also a Black Lab, was the crazy one and I decided that Crazy Clover would not be quite fitting for a jewelry business. Woof!
Being a sole proprieter, I work alone, except when my newest canine, “Moose” comes in to tell me what I’m doing wrong! The video shows him giving me lots of advice.
The newest addition, Moose. Don’t know why I waited so long to have a small dog! He is AMAZING!!! Had his DNA done, he is mostly Chiwieniepoo!
Shows and Exhibitions
2022 Arizona Show Schedule :
- Fine Arts and Coffee Festival, May 7 – 8, Downtown Prescott
- Territorial Days Arts & Crafts Show, June 11 – 12, Downtown Prescott
- Oak Creek Arts & Crafts Shows, March 12- 13, April 9 – 10, September 10 – 11
- Mountain Artists Guild Holiday Gift Shop, November – December. Gallery located at 228 N. Alacron, Prescott AZ
- Fountain Hills Arts and Crafts Show, November 11 – 13
- Wickenburg Gold Rush Days, February 10 – 12
- Art in the Park, Ojai, CA – annually May, 2010 – 2015
- Art in the Park, Paso Robles, CA – April 28-29, 2018
- Art Walk, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History – September 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016. Received Award of Merit in 2011
- Art Walk, Conejo Valley Art Museum – June, 2012, 2013, 2015
- Calabasas Fine Arts Festival – annually May, 2012, 2013, 2015
- Channel Islands Fine Art Festival – July, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Brentwood Fine Art Festival – October, 2015
- The Yes Store, Santa Barbara, CA – Seasonal artist’s coop in November and December, 2010 through 2017
- Santa Barbara Art Walk, weekly fine art and crafts along the beach. Participant since February, 2012 to August 2021
- Wine, Jewelry and Chocolate, Santa Barbara, CA – annually November 2011 – 2015. Fund raiser for CALM
- Holiday Marketplace – Santa Barbara Botanic Garden – November, 2015, 2016
Relevant Education:
- 1973 – 75 Santa Barbara High School, jewelry classes with Janice Lorber
- 1975 – 78 Associate of Arts, Santa Barbara City College
- 1978 – 80 Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art, UC Santa Barbara
- 2011 – Precious Metal Clay workshop, Lora Hart, Level 1 Certification
- 2012 – Precious Metal Clay workshop, Lora Hart, Level 2 Certification
- 2012 – Adult Education, Santa Barbara City College – Intro to Cloisonne.
