About Me

My great uncle was a world renowned painter.  I always said he took all the talent in the family and didn’t leave any for the rest of us.  I can’t draw anything even remotely recognizable.  My husband is wonderful at rendering beautiful pictures on paper, so my children figure I should be able to as well.  I remember once when my youngest son, Adam, asked me to draw a rooster.  My attempt resulted in Adam making faces and saying “Mama, that’s not a wooster!”  Aaron, my oldest, was all the while patting me on the back, saying “It’s ok Mama, really it is.”  Anybody who has ever had the wonderful luck of getting stuck with me as a Pictionary partner quickly resigns themselves to the fact that we will lose miserably, but go down laughing.   

When Aaron was in pre-school he came home one day with some bees wax. Never one to give up on me he asked if I could make a cat for him.  With extremely little confidence, I took the bees wax and hunkered down to my assigned task. Much to everyone’s surprise, the finished product looked exactly like a cat! We were all astonished and I was as giddy as a kid who just learned how to ride a bike.  From that point on, anything moldable was fair game.  I was the first suspect when my kids' playdoh went missing.

It may have taken me awhile but I finally realized that, although my drawing ability is sorely lacking, I can and need to work and create in 3D.  Everything I make has to be able to be held, and have a weight and texture and even a degree of warmth to it.

After unleashing this long denied gift my inspiration came quite easily. I am a strong believer in the spirit of the earth and am continuously amazed at the natural beauty of our home. To honor my gift, myself, and my home I often incorporate natural “found objects” into my designs. Many of my silver pieces are molded using real flowers, leaves, lichen, seed pods, and a myriad of other things from my yard. 

The process of using my hands and watching my ideas take form is very meditative. I’ve learned patience as well as the ability to recognize the beauty of my “mistakes.” I’m allowing myself to learn new techniques and accept the results of my endeavors as all contributing to my growth as an artist. This is something I never did before because I let my doubts and fears dictate my actions. Now, however, thanks to the faith and persistence of my children, I welcome the creative challenges with joy – even if accompanied with the words “Mama, can you draw a rooster?”

Contact Information

Telephone 
     919-270-6743

Postal address 
     924 Dumont Dr. Hillsborough, NC 27278

Electronic mail 
     amys@terrachicdesigns.com