75 New Street, Salisbury

Been busy stocking new galleries this month: I now have work in this lovely gallery '75 New Street' in Salisbury, run by fellow maker Helen Noakes.

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Helen is known for her quirky range of jewellery featuring miniture models set in resin, and her talents don't stop there. I love these little penguin earrings: very cute!

But back to the gallery, which looks gorgeous. One of the nice things about jewellery is that you don't need to have a big space to hold quite a lot of it. And Helen has managed to get an excellent balance. Not only does the gallery feel contemporary and quite plush, despite it's minimal size, but it's also well stocked. 

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Helen rotates stock from different makers, so at the moment she's featuring work by Amy Keeper, Henrietta Fernandez, Karen Dell'Armi, Mandana Oskoui, Selina Cambell and Nobuko Okumura. As well as her own work and mine of course!

The gallery is well situated. New Street is very central whilst not being full of chain stores. In fact it felt like quite a select street, with the very smart and contempary Regent Tailoring next door (mens and womens clothing and accessories). I couldn't resist a new organic cotton stripey t-shirt, and felt seriously tempted by some hand-sewn pyjamas!

I really wished I'd had more time to explore: Salisbury looked like a great place to visit, and I'll definitely be back to explore it in more depth.

Junction Art Gallery, Woodstock

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My newest outlet is a completely new gallery: Junction Art Gallery in Woodstock, near Oxford. It's only just opened. I haven't been there yet but have worked previously with the gallery director Kate Hipkiss, so I know it'll be good. 

I do like showing my jewellery in different sorts of gallery, and all three new galleries I've got my jewellery in this month are completely different. Junction Art Gallery is just that: it has fine art as well as applied art: painting, ceramics, sculpture, and glass as well as jewellery. All the work is by British-based artists and makers.

If you're in the area I'm sure it's well worth a visit!

Just Make

Had a lovely day last Saturday visiting Wells and taking in a collection of jewellery to 'Just Make' on it's opening day.

I've been to Wells before: it's not far from our home, and has some very lovely historic buildings plus a great market, but I hadn't discovered the Market Street area where Just Make is before.

It's interesting that it's called Market Street, because it's not where the market is: an historical name I guess? Anyway there is one (rather good) fruit and veg stall there, just at the entrance to The Courtyard, which is where Just Make is situated. A good landmark.

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I met Laura Pearcey, the owner, at the 'Made by Hand' in Newport last December, where we were both exhibiting. She makes covetable ceramics under the name of Boop Design, and is also an experienced ceramics teacher. Opening Just Make is her latest venture.

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Laura's done the space up really well: it all looks very smart. As you'd expect, Laura has some of her own quirky ceramic jewellery and pots on sale. 

There are also ceramics by other great makers, including Tone Von Krogh.

Other Made by Hand makers get in there too: these lovely bags by Dr Bean are really special. We bought one as a present last Christmas: it now lives with my sister-in-law in Australia (and she's extremely pleased with it). I'm very tempted to get one for myself too... 

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Not only is there a careful selection of high quality handcrafted work for sale in Just Make, but Laura's also holding classes and kids craft sessions there. It's not a huge space but ideal for small groups.

If you haven't been to Wells it's definitely worth a visit, and Just Make and the area around it are 'musts'. Sew Vintage, a few doors along, is a haberdashery and sewing parlour, and Millie Moon have opened a haberdashery boutique and sewing school just round the corner. In fact 'This is Somerset' is hailing it as the Wells Craft Quarter.

It's also quite foodie, with the farmers markets and a very nice deli. On Laura's recommendation we had lunch in The Good Earth, a vegetarian cafe in Priory Road, just around the corner. I had a delicious quiche, salad, and cake, and will definitely be returning!

Filipa Oliveira

It's always good to see a new take on an old tradition, and that's exactly what Filipa Oliveira does. I first came across her work in the New Designers exhibition in London last summer, when she'd just been awarded with the Goldsmiths' Company's award for jewellery: quite an honour.

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It was no wonder Filipa had such a crowd around her: this is unusual work, and a great updating of an age-old technique. During her studies Philipa explored the ancient technique of filigree, which is associated with different peoples and cultures at different times and in many countries. Having begun her career in her native Portugal, Filipa took her degree in Jewellery and Metal Design in Dundee.

Making repeated tiny forms and often incorporating gemstones, Philipa constructs beautifully intricate cell-like patterns: her jewellery almost seems to unfold.

You can see (and buy) more of Filipa's work at the Barbican, open again now until 6th January, or on her website or facebook page.

Kathryn Hinton

Today I received the loveliest package: some jewellery by Kathryn Hinton. Unfortunately it's not for me - I'm taking it in to the Barbican in London tomorrow, to supplement Kathryn's fast dwindling collection there.

This jewellery is amazing not just in the end result, but also in it's method of production. You can see Kathryn in the picture above, and what she's doing is using a digital hammer to form the shapes of her jewellery: you can see the piece she's working on on the screen in front of her. 

The result of this stage is a digital file, as you can see in the image of the ring above. I haven't discussed the next stages with Kathryn, but I'm imaging the digital file is printed out in wax, which is then cast in metal.

The end product is a silver version of the digital image, which Kathryn then finishes by hand. Pretty incredible really, and the end results are beautiful: facets which catch the light, glimmering gently. Subtle and understated, elegant and sophisticated. Deceptively simple: I love them!

See more of Kathryn's jewellery and silversmithing on her website or pop along to the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican now until 6th January to buy some. 

Kathryn developed her work at the Royal College of Art, and currently also has a piece in the Crafts Council's Power of Making exhibition at the V&A.

Mariko Sumioka

No contemporary jewellery lover can have failed to see this striking image of Mariko wearing one of her brooches: it's been one of The images of the season. Born and educated in Japan, Mariko came to the UK in 2009 to study jewellery and silversmithing in Edinburgh. The photo was taken by Agnieszka Tarnowska, who also studied in Edinburgh, and is as stunning as Mariko's jewellery.

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Anyone who has been to Japan will immediately recognise the source of Mariko's inspiration for this collection. It instantly transports me back to Kyoto, with it's bamboo, temples, and tiles. It's definitely worth checking out Mariko's website for some of her photos, sketches and collages - they're just so evocative. 

Mariko's palette includes bamboo, textiles, and metal which she often enamels or patinates, creating a 'wabi sabi' aesthetic which I love. This jewellery is adventurous in form: catwalk necklaces, asymetrical earrings, and big brooches. All one-off pieces make this very collectable jewellery, but also very wearable. This is real creativity, and I look forward to seeing how Mariko's work develops.

I took this image of Mariko and some of her jewellery at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair this autumn - beautifully displayed - this is the art of placement! Right now Mariko's work is available in the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican, London. There's more information about her processes on her blog, and her news on her facebook page.

Ros Millar

Unusually, I'd heard of and seen Ros Millar's jewellery before I saw it at New Designers last July. Exhibiting in the 'one year on' section, Ros has done such a brilliant job with getting her work out there that it's hard to believe she only graduated in 2009.  

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Ros's trademark is stacks of organically inspired gold and oxidised silver rings, which she makes in her studio in London.

This jewellery has a very contemporary feel to it. A glimspe into Ros' sketch book shows a cluster of teeth cast in silver, giving a hint of the origins of this bold, assertive work. I'd love to see her graduation collection and see how her work has developed, because I hadn't spotted the toothy link in the jewellery I've seen. This work is already really mature and considered. 

It's interesting that Ros uses the process cuttlefish casting in her jewellery. This really ancient technique gives more than just texture to her jewellery: there's definitely a hint of the sea in there. The knobblyness suggests barnacles clinging to and growing out of the rings. And is it just me that sees a shoal of swimming creatures in the image above, and waving fronds of some sort of seaweed or some sea creature in the image below?

 

Work of this quality does no go unrecognised, and Ros already has a string of shows and awards under her belt. The image of her in her workshop above (by Nick Hand) was taken when she was a finalist for the Balvenie Young Master of Craft Awards, and her blog, facebook page, and website bristle with well deserved achievements.

 

I'm delighted that Ros is exhibiting with us in the DJG pop-up shop in the Barbican this winter. Open till 8pm every evening till 6th January (except 24th, 25th & 26th December), this is a great opportunity to see her work and stock up on those late Christmas presents!