About Mara

I am an Austrian from New Mexico. My artistic leanings predate my memory of making art, I’ve just always been the type to have a project in the works and a creative endeavor (or five) percolating in my mind. Through the Master’s of Architecture program at Tulane University I discovered historic preservation, which I ardently took up. My restoration services can be explored at Bitterbrush Restoration.

The continued use of old things, particularly imagining new purposes for them to be utilized, has driven both my professional and artistic directions. From early in my dabbling with jewelry, I’ve repurposed bits and beads from broken necklaces and earrings. When I had my laptop’s failed keyboard repaired, I was handed the broken one along with the fixed computer, and a spark of inspiration led me to take it apart. Since then I’ve had no shortage of material, given how common the phrase “I have a broken computer gathering dust, can you make use of it?” is as a reaction to my work. There is a lot of beauty hidden inside these machines we use every day, and often they’re sent off to the landfill without us ever seeing that.

In addition to jewelry I dabble in just about any art or craft put in front of me, from stained glass to knitting to woodworking to watercolor.

I can be reached at marasaxer at gmail dot com.