Began on the Coromandel peninsular where I grew up, I spent the weekends pig hunting in the forests and became enchanted by the many gemstones I found in the rivers. Rockhounds and Lapidary Clubs were popular, I learnt to cut, carve and polish gemstones and mount them with silver. Over the last 32 years I have worked with many types of hardstone, my passion is working jade, opal, carnellian, petrified wood, mother of pearle and paua shell.

For 15 years I travelled the length and breadth of New Zealand with my young family in our Housetruck called Earthwood. We followed the geology of the mountains and rivers, made and sold jewellery from the stones we collected. I met jade carvers Ben Beattie and Andrew Stewart at Bethells Beach and heard stories of West Coast adventures and the legends of jade and held these beautiful stones. A new door was opened and my journey with jade began.

My first lesson in carving jade was ‘when we touch stone we touch the gods and pounamu the godstone must be worked in such a way that the spirit of the stone is not affected’.

Perfecting my trade continued at Arts Unique Gallery in Marahau, the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park alongside well known artist Woody Woodward and master carver Yuri Terenyi. 

Since settling in Golden Bay 18 years ago I have worked alongside renouned silversmiths Peter Mears, Jane Cassie and professional Jeweller Grant Muir at our shared gallery, Onekaka Arts.  

I have sold my work through the Auckland War Memorial Museum and exhibited in the Wairua Exhibition at the Pataka Museum, Porirua. I feature in the books Home Free, Blokes in Sheds and Grass Roots Kiwis. 

I now work from home here in Onekaka, Golden Bay, where you will find me creating these special pieces for people all over the world.