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    For the past 38 years we have been championing contemporary craft in the vibrant city of Leeds to shine a spotlight on independent makers and their small businesses from across Yorkshire and the rest of the UK.  Through an exciting seasonal exhibition programme we highlight the skills behind handmade and share their inspiring stories.  Bringing these amazing collections of contemporary craft together under one roof has created a haven for many visitors to escape the stresses of daily life & create mindful experiences.  Please help us keep the gallery and the hundreds of small businesses we support alive by donating what you can so we can continue to keep bringing the very best of contemporary craft to you and help us and these creative industries thrive.

    If you would like to make a donation to the Craft Centre - please click the button below.

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    Copyright 2020.  Registered Charity No: 513457. Website design by Caroline Lloyd and maintained by The Craft Centre Team.

    A Walk in the Park

    21st March - 27th June 2015

     

    This collection of jewellery by ten British jewellers showcases the very best of contemporary jewellery today.  Each collection has been inspired by the experiences of the maker. 

     

    Leeds jeweller Liz Samways adopts many printmaking methods to create her jewellery inspired by the landscape.  On exploring the chemistry of these processes Liz says: “It provides constant inspiration which means life is never dull!”

     

    Animal lover Katie Stone is always discovering new landscapes and the beauty in nature has always inspired her; her jewellery is quirky and tells a story of her time outdoors; “either at the beach at our favourite holiday destination, Tenby in Wales, in our garden or going camping in the summer and discovering new landscapes.”

     

    Charlie High on being a jeweller: “I consider myself extremely fortunate to be doing something I love and I hope this shines through in my pieces.”  Charlie’s bold and organic work with beautiful semi-precious stones and her designs are a result of careful observation and sketching of natural forms.

     

    Glenn Campbell’s jewellery has tried to re-create some part of the beauty we can all see in the natural world.  His fascination is with the smaller parts that make up this world.  The pods and leaves you’ll see in his work are the visible tip of a deep interest in nature and are what makes his jewellery so classic yet contemporary.

     

    Kate Rhodes creates her Jewellery having been inspired by the everyday doodling of shapes, patterns and natural forms.  Beautiful rich colourful metals, when combined with inlaying, engraving, hammering and hand cutting, give the work the fluidity of the original doodle. Kate explores birds branches & leaves combined with 1950’s textiles & sculpture for inspiration as well as the interplay of the colours & textures of the metals.

     

    Whilst studying at Edinburgh College of Art, Karen McMillan developed a range of bold work using predominantly resin and acrylic.  Inspired by linear shapes found in nature and a love of Japanese pattern, Karen enjoys using these materials and believes colour is an important aspect of her work. 

     

    Alison Haddon’s silver enamelled jewellery uses her garden as inspiration for her collection.  “I am particularly fascinated and amused by the birds and their habitat.  Observing them has resulted in these unique pieces incorporated found wood and feathers.”

     

    Anna De Ville’s inspiration comes from the natural world.  Ever since she started showing her work at the British Bird Watching Fair each summer at the RSPB reserve at Rutland Water she has become obsessed with trying to create the character of the native birds and animals.  Anna De Ville spoke of these inspirations: “Sometimes they are humorous, some times more stylised.  Hares and foxes sit alongside cheeky starlings and bemused looking owls.  These handmade pieces are a real joy to work on and make me want to get up in the morning.”

     

    Christine Kaltoft’s jewellery has been largely inspired by her pet hens: “They’re great fun: eternally curious, funny, and greedy.  I tried sketching them, and produced squiffy lines, half-finished shapes, and extra heads where they’d refused to stand still.   The resulting series of bird brooches that I designed and made from a limited palette of wood and wire, won first prize from the Goldsmiths’ Company.  They went on to become the basis of my successful ‘sketches’ jewellery collection that I have exhibited at such top events as Goldsmiths’ Fair, Origin, Desire, Bovey Tracey, and Lustre.”

     

    Joanne Tinley’s inspirations come from the natural world around her and include lots of animal and bird imagery.   “My favourite technique in my jewellery making is Keum Boo, a Korean technique that permanently bonds 24k gold to fine silver.  It is this technique that I use in my popular Golden Collection.”

    Liz Samways
    Liz Samways
    House pendant, etched silver and copper
    Kate Rhodes
    Kate Rhodes
    Silver, copper, brass and titanium earrings
    Karen McMillan
    Karen McMillan
    Resin necklace
    Joanne Tinley
    Joanne Tinley
    Meadow flower silver earrings
    Charlie High
    Charlie High
    Silver fern pendant
    Anna De Ville
    Anna De Ville
    Flying Fox silver brooch
    Christine Kaltoft
    Christine Kaltoft
    Walnut and silver brooch
    Alison Haddon
    Alison Haddon
    Silver bird pendant
    Glenn Campbell
    Glenn Campbell
    Quaking Grass Pendant
    Katie Stone
    Katie Stone
    Silver badger studs
    Show More
    A Walk in the Park

    A Walk in the Park

    Kate Rhodes

    Kate Rhodes

    Katie Stone

    Katie Stone

    A Walk in the Park

    A Walk in the Park

    Karen McMillan

    Karen McMillan

    Joanne Tinley

    Joanne Tinley

    Inky Linky

    Inky Linky

    A Walk in the Park

    A Walk in the Park

    Glenn Campbell

    Glenn Campbell

    Christine Kaltoft

    Christine Kaltoft

    A Walk in the Park

    A Walk in the Park

    Charlie High

    Charlie High

    Anna de Ville

    Anna de Ville

    A Walk in the Park

    A Walk in the Park

    Alison Haddon

    Alison Haddon

    A Walk in the Park

    A Walk in the Park