When I was a little girl, I recall my Mom teaching me to make my first pot holder made on a metal loom.   She encouraged me to go door to door selling them to our rural Pennsylvania neighbors for fifty cents.  That was my first experience as a budding entrepreneur.  Since then I have made a career of working for myself.   I attended the Dean-Traut Floral Designer in New York City, opened up several flower shops, which included balloons and singing telegrams.   After attending a balloon convention in San Francisco, I decided to  to turn my interests toward the party and event planning business specializing in bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings and corporate events.

After doing this for many years, my husband and I decided to move to Alaska to escape the rat race and find a safer place to live.  Since moving here, I have changed careers, yet continue to use all the skills I learned over the past years.   Being here has given me a source of inspiration from nature in my paintings, photography, fountains, dreamcatchers, jewelry and other whimsical pieces of art that I create.  I enjoy the outdoors and do a lot of beach combing as well as hiking and gardening.

Fly tying was a skill I learned from my Dad.   Fishing was more than his hobby . . . he lived to fly fish.  He came to visit me in Alaska two times, each time bringing his favorite flies to show me and then we set up on the kitchen table and we created more.  During his last visit in 2002, sadly, he died while fishing . . . doing what he loved best.  Click here to read the Tribute to My Dad

Not long after that I came up with the concept of a-LURE-rings.  I wanted to combine my jewelry craftsmanship as an artist and my love for fly fishing and the great out doors.  Many of the patterns were copied from my Dad’s own creations and I like to think that he’s somewhere watching me have fun with his fly designs.  In fact, all of the materials I use are from his years and years of  collecting all sorts of feathers, dubbings, furs and other man-made materials.  I like to call what I do “Art on a Hook”!

Do what you love and love what you do!  That's my philosophy.
Grace

“Sometimes when the water is very quiet and still, you can hear the fish laughing at you.”

The artist at work

Aerial photo of our little town Click here to learn more  about Prince of Wales Island

Click here to learn more about our fountains