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.”