Many of you know how my mother has deeply influenced my work. Her brilliant paintings serve as the foundation for my brass and wood carvings.
But fewer know how my father’s side has also shaped this path.
A few years ago, while visiting my childhood home in South Carolina, my father turned to me and said, “You know Grandpa Hymie also made metal chandeliers?”
I had no idea.
It turns out, his chandeliers had hung in places like the Heinz Museum and St. Paul’s Cathedral in Pittsburgh. And at the very same time, I had just been commissioned by the wonderful Annie Brahler to create brass chandeliers of my own—a moment that felt both serendipitous and divinely timed.
Photo courtesy of Heinz History Center.
By that point, I had already begun crafting brass handbags, vases, and sculptural pieces. But this conversation made something click. Both my great-grandfather and I had made metal chandeliers—without me even knowing it.
My great-grandfather, Hyman David Blum, was a master metalsmith. His sons—my grandfather and great-uncles—went on to found Blumcraft, a company that would become internationally known for its architectural metalwork. Their fixtures live on in the architecture of some of the world’s most iconic buildings including the White House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I.M. Pei’s Louvre Pyramid, to name just a few.
Sometimes we question whether we’re on the right path.
I started my career as an actress. But after a health challenge that temporarily affected my memory, I made what I thought would be a short-term shift into design. I assumed I would return to acting. And that time is quickly approaching.
But in the meantime, I’ve come to see that I was being guided—led to create from a place that honors both sides of my family. A perfect fusion of artistic legacy and soulful craftsmanship.
And for that, I’m deeply grateful.
Next time, I’ll tell the story of how these pieces ended up in Lady Gaga’s home—and how our connection led to a series of private commissions that remain close to my heart.
