“With my hands, I Make” is a piece I made as a tribute to silversmith Lois Etherington Betteridge. It is made with the technique of chasing and repousse and is a realistic portrait of my hands praying. The locket, when held, fills the space inside your palms created when you cup your hand to pray. Because it is silver, it quickly warms to the temperature of your body. It is a comfort to hold. It hangs on a 6’ suspended chain made of tiny infinity signs over a hand embroidered pillow with text in relation to hands and their function. The piece is about the ability for craftspeople to transform materials into objects. It is also about praying for craft and the handmade. Most importantly, I was asked to make this piece as I was holding the hand of my mother while she was dying of breast cancer. Lois is also a breast cancer survivor. The title points to a choice, with your hand you can choose to make good or evil. The reference is obviously for the good.

Lois Etherington Betteridge: A Tribute Exhibition, Macdonald Steward Arts Centre, Guelph University,Guelph, ON, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, 2000. Text on pillow