Someone once said to me, "Why don’t you make your things in REAL?" My reply was, "I’ve been trying to make things UNREAL my whole career.”

For a hundred thousand years, personal adornment has been part of our culture. We are lost to its original significance. In the beginning, this idea had relevance and the word, “ jewelry” was the term given to this creative work. Jewelry descends from the Latin word JOCALE, meaning PLAYTHING.

I am referred to as a 'jeweler', which is a categorization I have always rebelled against. This restless spirit to create fuels my imagination, and allows this attitude to flourish. My intent has been to question the dialogue of how this medium communicates, and to broaden the horizons of what is meaningful and acceptable within the language of it's form. The challenge has always been to contradict any preconceived notions of what was, and to expand its possibilities. Today, ideas take on a much broader spectrum, as art has become more accessible as a commodity. Art is anything an artist chooses to say it is.

For me, the act of creativity is seeing the beauty in the accident of coincidence, and giving function to the poetry of everyday life. It is that inner glimpse that defines the process of thought. Along with the dexterity of hands, and the instinct of a magician, the dream becomes a reality. Naked and unabashed, the soul is then laid bare in it's presentation, allowing others to enjoy the consequences of their choice. It then becomes a reflection of personality and an expression of taste… to lighten, and enlighten.

It has always been my biggest challenge to surprise myself; to leave each day with some-thing that exists, which never did before. The joy I derive from this process allows me to realize happiness, as it is the answer to all questions.

-Tom Binns
And if it is a plaything, so be it, let's play on....