After attending medical school in Düsseldorf, Germany, Jackie worked as a surgeon in London, Düsseldorf and Portsmouth, then later changing her field to anesthesia. When she arrived in the States in 1998, Jackie became a full time mom, happily ensconcing herself in child-rearing. Then she took a welding class with Kimberli Matin and it was love at first spark. Jackie has enjoyed working with metal for the past 5 years, living and working in downtown Durham, having spent 2 years under the tutelage of Blacksmith Jimmy Alexander. Jackie finds delight in the unexpected: using an old tire rim to make a gorgeous bowl satisfies her need for contrast. The juxtaposition of rusty old and shiny new metal is a recurring theme in her work and she often doesn’t know what she will do until she looks at a piece of metal and the project just starts taking on shape.
