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 in 2021, 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, my students, 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 Creations:
I make things 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. 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. So, about four times a year I hold classes in downtown Prescott. Visit my classes page for more info!
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 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.
Where did “Sweet Cedar” come from? Now gone, my dogs of choice in the past 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 my 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!
