Emilie Pritchard is a self-taught artist. Her academic training was as a lawyer (University of Chicago law School, class of 1974). After practicing law for a year or so, her and her husband moved onto a sailboat and headed south. A year later they were in the sailboat business in Panama City, FL, and they ran that business for 40 years.
Her explorations into craft began with weaving. She focused on rugweaving, creating geometric designs in a flat medium. Around 2006, she started playing around with beading and was struck by the possibilities for 3D geometry. She started with glass seed beads, but gradually realized that longer beads enhanced the structural nature of her work. Now, Emilie cuts her own tubes of sterling silver and other metals, building chains of polyhedrons which form jewelry. She continues to explore, pushing her limits and having fun along the way.
