BANKS. Designs

I’ve been thinking a lot about duality, opposites, high and low. Fancy things with a plain cotton tee. Royal ease. I swear there’s a there there. I’ll share it with you soon.

Stay cool out there.

Extreme closeups of some work in progress. The textures remind me of gram stains, microscopic views of organisms, and craters on the moon.

Once upon a time I wanted to be a fashion designer, but after working in retail it didn’t feel like the right fit. So much time spent sitting in fitting rooms debating whether the clothes or the body were the problem. Often times selling the mystique of a number on a tag and not the garment itself.

Jewelry felt…feels different. It’s a little something extra here or there. A way to highlight more than hide the body. A frame for the face, a reminder of the angle of a neck, a map of where to whisper sweet nothings.

I think hands are beautiful, and that’s where the jewelry box can morph into a fitting room. A worry that our fingers are too big, too small, too fat, too rough. Hands are the storytellers. The mole no one else in your family has, the callouses from gripping pliers or playing guitar, the scar you got trying to cut a zucchini when cooking dinner with friends. A reminder of who you are and where you’ve been.

Your hands aren’t too much of anything. They’re exactly what they’re meant to be.

INSPIRATION: A peek into what I’ve been thinking about lately - the shape of light, the swamp, froth, the textures of water and decay.

A redesigned watch band breathes new life into what I hope becomes a family heirloom. My client received this watch from her grandmother, and felt the band needed a refresh. I’m so honored that she trusted me with this project, and we’re so excited about how it turned out.

I’ve been looking at a lot of artist in studio photographs lately. I LOVE seeing people in their spaces. It’s a rare view into what people find useful and hold dear. A peek into their process or a clue about the things that bring them peace, joy, and excitement. In curating my home I often wonder what people could gather about my life after I’m gone.

But, I rarely take pictures of myself, and I struggle to remember to document pieces and the workflow of my studio. I promised myself I’d be better about that this year. A special thank you to for these images. There’s a magic in film photography. It requires patience, trust, and maybe a little luck. These are 10X better than what I saw in my head.

So here is a little curated behind the scenes of me in my studio. A happy place that belongs to me and no one else. It’s also proof that I finished rearranging and cleaning it up.