Growing up in a traditional family in Santo Domingo Pueblo, the last thing on my mind was that my art creations would allow me to travel to a great part of the United States - much less have my jewelry designs in demand at galleries and art shows!

I have employed skills acquired helping my parents stringing, designing traditional Santo Domingo jewelry. Remember the old style Thunderbird necklaces inlaid on battery casings or records, being sold along highways or on the plaza in Santa Fe? Those are the inspiration for my art.

My jewelry has also come from traditional Santo Domingo turquoise "Heishi" and "Depression Era" work, to a modern, contemporary, mosiac, multi-colored inlay jewelry that is versatile for formal and casual wear. Using natural stones, shells, and turquoise, my designs are free form inlay where no two pieces are alike as each stone, shell or turquoise is cut to fit a design right out of my memory! I try to find different types of colors of stones, unusual shapes of shells, cutting them at different angles to get the desired look. Using different colors of turquoise from different areas of the country or world is not out of the question and can give a necklace or pendant an unusual look. Lately, I have used silver filing to create a "glitter" effect to many pieces. Sometimes I do not know what each piece will look like until they are finished.

My pieces have fooled many of my customers and even seasoned art collectors by them asking, "How did you paint these designs?" Until told that these are the natural colors of my materials and how they are intricately inlaid, are they amazed in the detail of my work. The patience required by my parents when I helped with the family jewelry production has helped me with numerous design ideas.

I currently live in Santo Domingo Pueblo with my husband, Lorenzo (also an award winning Jeweler/Metalsmith) and four children. Our studio, workshop is behind our house and we have had many of our customers tour the facility and show them our material, tools and equipment we use on our work. We love showing people our studio as it gives them the perspective of the work and a deeper appreciation of it. It also helps in creating repeat customers.