About the Artist, Joney Ferguson
 

Joney with her beloved dog Penny

My Dad was a master jeweler, a skill he learned from his father. He had a trade shop in the Praetorian Building, across from Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas, Texas.

My sister and I climbed those worn marble stairs to the second floor hundreds of times to watch Daddy and his workers repair and manufacture beautiful jewelry. I might have learned the trade from my Dad if girls were allowed to enter into such a trade in those days.

Mother was urged to come downtown and help Daddy with the business “for a few days.” Twenty years later she was the driving force behind a successful surburban jewelry store at the corner of Live Oak and Skillman which continued to carry the family name, Carter’s Jewelers.

Fascinated with the bead stringing mom did at home because there wasn’t time during regular business hours, I watched and learned.

When a contemplative prayer group in the Dallas area worked out the configuration for the Anglican Rosary in the early ‘90’s, I thought to myself, “I’ll bet I can do that!” So using the old method of fine jewelry knots, I began to collect beads and crosses from many sources and went to work.

I discovered not only the joy of relaxing hand work, but also realized that this activity gave me such a sense of peace and enhanced my spiritual journey. People began to give me feed back as to how the rosaries blessed them; how it gave them peace and courage in difficult times. I was encouraged to strengthen the business and help it grow.

Converting to modern methods of sturdy flexible wire, the rosaries are better able to withstand the rigorous workout some folks tend to give them.

Some of their stories are here on this web site.