My passion is creating artwork inspired by faceted gemstones. The brilliance and fire of a beautiful gem can evoke a powerful emotional response. The intent of my work is to elicit a similar reaction in my viewers by accentuating a gemstone’s line, shape, and color using traditional quilt-making techniques. Torch Song was inspired by the Whitney Flame Topaz, the magnificent 48.86-carat Imperial Topaz acquired in 2018 by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. This spectacular, natural red topaz is considered one of the finest in the world.