Lynn has been working with silver clay since 2005. She began her artistic business in the 90s working with polymer clay at first, but when she discovered silver clay, she couldn't resist and now it seems she has found her ideal medium. However, much to her dismay, she does not work on her creative business full time as she currently has a 'proper' job as a paralegal. But she says, she is hopefully going to retire within the next year or so and then it will be full steam ahead, because she can't wait to explore all the ideas flying around her brain!    

When I ask her about her style, Lynn says it is pretty hard to pin down. She says she mostly enjoys making beautiful jewellery. From her abstract range of beautiful flowers to her whimsical castle series both different in appearance and construction, it seems Lynn prides herself on her eye to capture beautiful design and it works. One of her pieces was a finalist in the prestigious Saul Bell Awards run by Rio Grande in 2011 with her Silver Flower piece.

Lynn's Saul Bell piece

Preferring to work with PMC3 silver clay over all others, she says that she has not had the time to explore the base metal clays, but this is definitely on her plan when she retires. She feels there's such a steep learning curve with the various brands and types of metal that she needs to immerse herself in learning all about them.

So where does she create her beautiful art jewellery? She tells me she is lucky enough to have studio space in her home. This, she confides, ranges from nicely organised and neat to wild and messy after a few creative sessions. She has a million texture sheets, old buttons, leaves, twigs, bark, shells, carved moulds, enamel powders, not to mention all her tools. Lynn says it all works until she can't find something and then a big tidy up has to happen. And when that is done she finds that the ideas can start flowing. So is that what Lynn does when she hits a creative lull? Not necessarily. 'I sometimes feel it is ok to just let those non-creative times just pass by and not worry about it being some sort of block.' She tells us, 'Ideas are still in there, mulling either consciously or unconsciously and they will emerge. That said, there is something to having a discipline of just going into the studio, even if not feeling inspired, cleaning up, running one's hands over the tools and, surprisingly, a piece will almost just grow out of that lump of clay'  

Whimsical Castle Ring series

She is passionate about art and feels very strongly about women's art in particular. She feels the influences of artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Judy Chicago have done a lot to bring female artists into the fore. Lynn says 'I feel that with metal clay, I have finally found the medium that allows me to express myself, in a way that feels very authentic and this flower series, I would like to think, is my own contribution to women's art. Our art, often relegated to the back of the gallery in the past, has begun to truly flower within the art community.'

Sea Creatures.

Lynn says that her biggest challenge is managing her time, with so many techniques waiting to be learned and feeling there is still so much to do and to master! But she is also challenged by the age old problem that faces many artists; to cut loose and make whatever her heart desires or to make simpler, more commercially desirable pieces which are not nearly as fulfilling artistically? Whatever her decision on the way forward, once she has more time to create, we are sure that it will be beautifully designed and wonderful to look at!

To view more of Lynn's beautiful work and perhaps buy a piece of your very own, head on over to her Etsy site which can be found here or at her Zibbet Shop here 

Silver Flower Rings

Lynn's work is also available to buy in various galleries in the San Francisco Bay area and in Scotland at Art Clay Scotland, Edinburgh.

Photos credits: Andrew Stevenson