Jeweler and photographer Polly Gauthier Simon combines a sense of whimsy with skilled proficiency in her unusual pieces. As a kid growing up in south Louisiana, Polly began taking pictures after her father gifted her with her first camera, her beloved Kodak Disc. Encouraged by her family and by her dad's collection of National Geographic, Polly learned to focus her lens upon the often overlooked vignettes around her.

In recent years, Polly has become enamored of digital photography and has developed a gift for the manipulation of her images. An exploration into jewelry-making began not long after Polly moved to Dallas. By creating photo jewelry, she was thrilled to, as she puts it, ¨marry her two addictions: photography and adornment".

Polly has collaborated with other artists and photographers to create one-of-a-kind jewelry. Artists include Bob Munro, Michelle Stroescu and Ashley Thames Brown, among others. Her art has been exhibited in galleries, including the Cedars Art Gallery and Rocket Science Salon in Lakewood. Polly has also served as chairperson to the Greenland Hills ArtFest for several years and has donated pieces to silent auctions for Dallas Peace Center, DISD and other not-for-profit organizations. She lives in East Dallas with her husband Jay, owner and designer for Casinosupply.com, and their two darling daughters, Piper Ane and Paisley Jane.

--- ashley thames brown (www.ashleythamesbrown.com)