I graduated from the BDes (Hons) Jewellery and Metalwork at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee in 1993. I focused on silverware and for my degree show I made vessels incorporating mixed media such as plastics and ceramics for colour and texture. My designs were based on the imagery collected from the fishing villages along the Fife coast.

I continued my studies on the MA Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery course at The Royal College of Art, London. My final collection consisted of large lightweight colourful body pieces which explored space and movement.

I went on to work in Higher Education for 13 years, lecturing on a broad-based craft programme with a focus on sustainability. It was then I decided I was ready to try and make a living from making my own work. In 2009, my partner and I moved to Norfolk to manage a small woodland. I learnt traditional woodworking skills, and launched my first range of wooden jewellery in 2015.

INSPIRATION

I have a range of influences. I particularly love old toys and games as well as folk and primitive art and costume.

Common themes in my work are colour, geometry, play and repetition. I think of myself as a modernist, and the Bauhaus in particular has always been a big influence on me and work.

CREATIVE PROCESS

I love collecting visual information in my sketchbook. I have always enjoyed drawing and use it to understand and remember how things are made.

When it comes to developing ideas, I tend to work more intuitively, and things evolve through the making process. I don’t like to pre-visualise ideas in my sketchbook, I have boxes of experiments and 3D sketches instead.

STUDIO

My practice covers many different processes, so I have a range of small but distinct workspaces. I share a general woodworking space with my partner. This has all the basic kit such as a band saw, belt sander and woodworking lathe. I also have a small studio where I have my jeweller’s bench for working on findings for my jewellery and this is also where I paint my work. We also have another small clean area for threading, packing and admin.

FAVOURITE PIECE

Over the last year, I have been developing more playful, figurative worked based on dolls and puppets, so I suppose the Dolly Pendant is my favourite piece (pictured below). These pieces have been more ambitious in terms of my wood-turning abilities. I’m also learning about stop-frame animation, which I hope to use more with this work.

FUTURE PROJECTS

I have work of a more conceptual nature included in the ‘Hatch 19’ exhibition at the National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford (20 July - 22 Sept). It’s a curated exhibition of Design Nation members celebrating the Art school experience. Happy days for me indeed!

In the autumn, I am pleased to be returning to MADE Marylebone from 24-27 October. It’s always such an excellent selection of makers and a fabulous venue. I will also be at Lustre 2019, Lakeside Arts, Nottingham for the first time from 8-10 November.

I’m a contemporary jeweller based in London, I design and make colourful mixed media jewellery which combines bold materials (wood, Formica and precious metals) with traditional craftsmanship. I make one-of-a-kind statement pieces alongside a more saleable range of earrings, necklaces and brooches. I did a degree in Three Dimensional Crafts at Brighton University and then over the last 10 years or so I have done various short courses, mainly at Morley College in South London, to push my jewellery skills. Being a maker is a huge part of my identity!

INSPIRATION

I am drawn to areas of immense detail; pattern, repetition and mark making, but also the clear uncluttered spaces around them, and I make work which strives to find a balance between the two. Old industrial cities and canal sides are particular influences, from tapered chimneys to barges and water towers. Colour is also a huge part of my work and I love working with materials that allow me to make colourful jewellery.

CREATIVE PROCESS

When I’m working on new ideas I often start with sketches and colourful card models, I then move fairly quickly onto test pieces in wood and Formica. It is when I’m using these materials that ideas move forward - I can see what works and unexpected things happen. Often when I am working on one design, an idea for another will pop up and I’ll quickly sketch it so I can come back to it in the future.

STUDIO

I have a studio space in Cockpit Arts which is a creative business incubator for craftspeople – it provides studio space alongside business support. I share a studio with Fflur Owen a leather worker who makes beautiful sculptures. Having worked from home for a number of years, it’s great to now be in a building full of other makers.

FAVOURITE PIECE

My favourite piece in my summer collection is the blossom brooch (pictured above, available in the gallery). I really like the different layers created with different colours and the sections of oxidised silver. The 18ct gold dots also make it extra special. Brooches are my favourite thing to make because they are like a blank canvas and you really get creative!

FUTURE PROJECTS

At the moment I am working on collections for Autumn shows. I am taking part in Made London Marylebone which is a selling show in October and I have an exhibition showcase at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. I am making a lot of my existing designs but will also be introducing new pieces. In addition to this, I am hoping to design and make some wall pieces for a gallery called Jaggedart – I’ve not scaled up my work before so it’s all very exciting!

I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Silversmithing and Jewellery from the RCA in 1993 and apart from a break to bring up small children, I have been making jewellery and small items of silverware ever since then.

INSPIRATION

Gardening and growing plants and flowers, old botanical and technical drawings and Scherenschnitte - the art of papercutting.

I also have a love of Scandinavian design, lighting, furniture and architecture and the use of the simple clean pared down aesthetic.

CREATIVE PROCESS

I do lots of drawing, probably not as much as I used to due to time constraints, but drawing helps me to work out designs and process/eliminate ideas.

I also make models in card and paper or base metal. I really enjoy the technical, engineering and problem-solving side of metalwork.

Recently, I have changed my process and I am enjoying working directly in the metal and seeing what happens! It doesn’t always look as expected, but I enjoy the serendipitous approach with my more one-off pieces.

STUDIO

I am lucky enough to work in a bright, double-heighted studio, with really good natural light - it is very cold in the winter though!

FAVOURITE PIECE

I was really pleased with my one-off Garden Charms necklace in silver with 18ct gold (available in the gallery, earrings pictured below). It’s a lovely summery piece and the little faceted rubies and aquamarine beads set off the garden-inspired charms.

FUTURE PROJECTS

I am currently creating a new collection of floral pendants, all inspired by specific favourite flowers, some in oxidised silver with 18ct gold details and some in silver with 22ct gold vermeil.

I’ve always loved Art & Design since school so went to do a portfolio course at the Tramway in Glasgow in 2008 before choosing a NQ/HND in 3d jewellery practice at Cardonald College in Glasgow. I applied a couple of times to Art School during the 3 years at college but didn’t get in to my first choices. However, I was pretty persistent and eventually got into 3rd year at Duncan of Jordanstone Art School in Dundee, which ended up being the best decision I made. I graduated with a 1st class honours degree in 2014.

Building a business hasn’t been easy, after graduating I worked in various part time jobs to save for jewellery tools. It’s always been a juggling act, having a part time job and making jewellery but I love working with people and meeting folk so don’t mind doing both.

INSPIRATION

A huge part of my inspiration reflects in my jewellery brand - Smith & Gibb after my grandparents, Trevor Smith & Margaret Gibb. It started as a “Valentine’s” project in 3rd year of DJCAD. I started by looking at old Valentines cards, war time pictures of boyfriend/partners/husbands leaving for WWII, love notes and letters. I had talked to my mum and dad about it and my dad had mentioned my Aunt Maggie (my dad’s older sister) had some of my papa’s love letters kept from WWII to my nana. It was emotional reading them - he poured his heart into every letter starting his letters with “Darling Margaret”. I mostly wanted to show how important writing letters are, as I had learnt so much about my family history but also just the beautiful sentiment that was put into them. The stamps and marks on the envelopes were just so beautiful too. I will always be inspired by my grandparents and family as they are what made Smith & Gibb. I also get a lot of inspiration from travelling. I have been to both Copenhagen and Seville this year, both cities were brilliantly bright and colourful. It’s also about bringing joy and happiness to the wearer or admirer of my jewellery.

CREATIVE PROCESS

I go through phases, so sometimes my creative process is just making a variation of different components in silver, using different thicknesses, shapes and styles of wire, or different pierced out shapes. I then tend to make flat opaque enamel pieces and kind of lay it all out! I take photos of different compositions and work from there. Other times, I can be doing something totally unrelated to making, like out running and just think of something. For me I like to play around with the materials and colours! I have too many ideas and not enough time though!

STUDIO

For a start it really isn’t too glamorous! I have my workbench next to a large window so I have lots of natural light coming in. On my workbench I keep a lot of my most used tools out, such as my saw, my metal files, tweezers, my torch etc. I then have two other long wooden benches one with my pickle (which helps clean up your metal), drill, steel blocks, anvil, mandrals, polisher etc. The other is my enamelling area, which has my kiln, a shelf with all my tubs of enamel, my enamelling tools. Lastly, I have a desk to design at / package orders. I keep other jewellers business cards pinned near my workbench for inspiration, as well as photographs of friends and family. It’s important to have little thing like that to keep you going sometimes!

FAVOURITE PIECE

Ooh that's tricky! I am enjoying working on my Lampshade Collection (earrings pictured above). The pieces like in the name were originally inspired by vintage lampshades that I recall from my grandparents’ house. What I like in particular about these pieces is they have their own personalities - they move when you move, and dance when you walk!

FUTURE PROJECTS

I’m super excited for the future of Smith & Gibb, I’m currently part of the “Compass” programme with Craft Scotland, which started in February this year and finishes in October. I am also taking part in the Summer Show in the White Stuff shop in Edinburgh this August (part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and then Elements in November too - which is a selling fair for jewellers across the UK. And to round up the year I will be taking part in various Christmas markets - please stay tuned to see where!

I will be launching an alternative bridal collection, hopefully in spring! Something I’ve been planning since getting married myself last September.