Tim's mother is a native of San Felipe Pueblo (between Santa Fe and Albuquerque), and his father is Navajo. Tim began his career as a jeweler when he was about 20 years old, when he began working for one of the large Indian jewelry manufacturers in Gallup, NM. After learning the skills of metalsmithing and stonecutting, Tim began working for and with two noted Indian artists, Chalmers Day (Hopi) and Jimmie Harrison (Navajo). After this group parted company, about 1996, Tim struck out on his own. He has developed a style that is anchored in that of his teachers, combining sterling overlay and mosaic inlay. Tim uses designs of his own heritage as well as those of neighboring native cultures. Although he is a versatile jeweler, he most often creates bracelets.