ABOUT THE ARTIST

My name is Will. I started making art at a very young age. When I was 5 years old, I was given a prompt in school that read, “When I grow up, I want to be ____.” We were told to fill in the blank with whatever we wanted and to draw a picture representing our answer. I chose “an artist”.

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At age 16, I left home in Tennessee with a backpack to travel the countryside, hitchhiking and backpacking into my later teenage years. In the cold months I would travel south for the weather. This led me to discover the annual gem show in Tucson, Arizona where I found work building and breaking down large vendor booths. This is where I first witnessed the gem and jewelry world and quickly fell in love.

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At age 18, I began learning to make jewelry myself. This trade has taught me the power of hard work, patience and discipline. I owe much of who I am to it.

 

I am 30 now, and I still have many aspirations for my art and jewelry career. At its root this work is my therapy, and my studio is my sanctuary.

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Without support, art will die. Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you, and cheers to the supporters of handmade art.