How this all got started

Some people know me as Kathy Swift, large animal veterinarian. Others know me as Katherine Swift, jewelry artist, without having any idea that I actually work on cows when I'm not making jewelry. Many of my cow friends and colleagues encouraged me to make a line of cow jewelry. I have resisted for quite a while since jewelry and metalsmithing are the exact opposite of veterinary medicine. Jewelry making allows me to be creative, while veterinary medicine tends to be more "by the book." I finally realized that with my background and agriculture experiences, I could create jewelry that truly represented cattle and farming. Has anyone else noticed how cattle sometimes get represented in art? I wanted something very realistic and sought to produce charms for a bracelet or a necklace that could truly represent what we all know as "insiders." Over the next few days, I will discuss how the ideas came to fruition and include a few pictures along the way.