I have always made things, starting at a young age. Lucky to be supported by parents who also are makers for fun and their work I had plenty of opportunities to explore. I made it to Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1989 with a major in jewelry and light metals and a minor in sculpture.

I moved to San Francisco "temporarily" over 3 decades ago where I live with my partner and favorite collaborator, John, our 2 daughters and dogs. I established Deborah Caperton Jewelry in 1997, making custom jewelry and limited production collections. I tend to think in 3 dimensions and fabrication is my most comfortable design avenue, I look to nature to study form and texture for inspiration as well as solace and fun. My daily dog walks, backpacking trips often result in new ideas to create a series of jewelry, a theme for artwork or a workshop to offer.

I value all the different ways I have worked in a classroom setting. I have taught jewelry and metalsmithing classes at San Francisco State University, The Academy of Art University and The Richmond Art Center. In 2015 I co-founded Spark Ceramics with friend, artist and educator Deborah Gutof. Spark Ceramics is a community-based ceramics education program. We work with all kinds of groups and organizations helping people connect with each other with their hands in clay, tapping into their own creativity and self-expression.

My art projects include assemblages, commission home decor and sculptural installation. My narrative mixed media series entitled, Lost & Found has been ongoing since 1999. Recently I have returned to putting more time into making one-of-a-kind jewelry with a new series entitled Small Comforts, I explore how ornamentation and interactive objects overlap to have meaning like a touchstone or cherished memento.

waxberry studs