THE ARTIST

Jennifer grew up spending lots of time on the beach hunting for treasure, in the small coastal town of Guilford, CT. She is a self-taught jeweler, with an extensive design background. In 1999, Jennifer graduated from Roger Williams University, in Bristol, Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Architecture. Unsure of her next step in life, Jennifer traveled the country searching for her passion. In 2002, Jennifer took a trip that would not only change her life, but influence the lives of others. She traveled to California to visit some friends who brought her to a very special beach on the ocean. Perhaps an old dumping station, this little strip of sand was covered with beautiful chunks of sea glass, also known as beach glass. The pieces of sea glass lay on the beach like precious jewels of a lost treasure, glistening in the sunshine. She was not quite sure what she would make, but she knew that it could be beautiful. She gathered as much sea glass as she could carry, and returned home to Vermont. Since the sea glass was so stunning, she thought that it would make incredible jewelry, so she began to pair the sea glass with sterling silver wire, creating whimsical forms that held the sea glass in place. After a little experimenting, Jennifer was making pendants that her friends and family adored. She realized, that with the treasure she had found, a new life path had opened up for her.

 

Every spring, for the past six years, Jennifer travels to California to collect the sea glass herself. She spends hours a day on the beach, soaking up the sunshine, and collecting these little gems….not a bad day at the office!! Some pieces are lying right on top of the sand, some are buried beneath the rocks, and some are right at the water’s edge, where Jennifer needs to be quick to grab the pieces before the ocean pulls them away. Last year she brought home over 60 pounds of genuine surf-tumbled sea glass…not all of it usable for jewelry, but she has begun to create other beautiful things like sun catchers and ornaments.

 

For the past seven years, Jennifer has been pursuing her art, in hopes to one day make it her career. She currently lives in Burlington, VT amongst many talented artists, crafters, and designers. The Burlington City Arts Summer Artist Market is what helped launch her career as an artist. Every Saturday between May and October, you can find Jennifer behind the Firehouse Gallery in City Hall Park in downtown Burlington selling her wares. In the mountains, Jennifer uses the beauty of her surroundings as inspiration to continually create new designs.