About Davida

What do I want you to know about me? Probably how I came into this work with metal, and what it means to me. It has been a long road— one I could never have imagined I would travel. And midway through my life, here I am, creating a link to my culture with unique art from my own hands— all in a little town outside of Portland, Maine. I still ask myself, how did I get here?

Art. Looking at it, doing it, wanting to “be an artist” has always been what’s grounded me in life. And I’ve tried all different ways to make it my life. I’ve practiced the arts of upholstery, cooking, embroidery digitizing, graphic design, and illustration— just to name several. I always felt that, yes, I was on the right path, but maybe I needed a new pair of shoes? I didn’t stop walking though. The intuition that I have always trusted, that has told me to jump - even in the dark, has brought me here. And here is where I believe I have found what I’m supposed to be doing on this earth. Portland is the place where I’ve come full circle, bringing Judaism back into my life, and where I took my first metalsmithing class. It was those two things that soldered the connection and led me to produce my first design of the "Ayin/Tree" earrings. I felt such satisfaction and pride when my original artwork translated beautifully to sterling silver.

From my job teaching first graders in Sunday school, Hebrew letters and words stayed with me all week and became more than just the blessings I would read and recite on holidays. Soon I began to see not only the shape those letters took, but also familiar elements and patterns, similar to what I most often use when creating art. Winnowed from classes in graphic design, I begin my sketches using graceful lines to create forms. I develop the negative space, and add simple ornamentation while I stretch the limits of my imagination by keeping my palette black and white, only pencil and paper. Studying those elements in the Hebrew letters, specifically in The Book of Letters by Lawrence Kushner and The Hebrew Alphabet, A Mystical Journey by Edward Hoffman, has enhanced and expanded my design exploration. As I continue reading more books about the mysticism of the aleph-bet, I am seeing how each letter holds a life— actually many lives, and meanings within it. While I am studying and drawing the letters, I see more and more connections between pieces of my life and experience and all that the aleph-bet holds. That is the essence of the imagery I bring to life in my jewelry.

Watching my initial drawings develop and transform into beautiful pieces of jewelry has been one of the greatest transformations I have been a part of. I am focused and trusting on this journey, and in the belief that I am on the right path, wearing comfortable shoes.