The Moss Agate Cuff was one of the first successful pieces to emerge from the many material experiments that became Year of Plastic, my BFA thesis collection. While much of the early work focused on testing techniques, this cuff marked the beginning of a process that would become central to my practice: fusing thin plastic film into a new material.

The cuff is made from grocery store produce bags that were cut into strips and layered before being fused together with heat. As the plastic softened under heat, the printed green grocery store logos shriveled, stretched, and abstracted into organic forms. At the same time, the clear plastic became milky and translucent, allowing hints of the green logo in the layers beneath to remain visible.

The transformation reminded me of moss agate, one of my favorite gemstones. I was struck by how a material designed to be temporary could, through heat and layering, begin to resemble something formed slowly over thousands of years. Rather than forcing the resemblance, I allowed the material's own behavior to guide the final surface.

Looking back, this cuff represents an important turning point in my work. It was the beginning of my exploration of fused plastic film, a technique I continue to use today, and it reflects an idea that has remained constant throughout my practice: discovering moments where discarded plastics unexpectedly echo the colors, textures, and patterns found in the natural world.