ACJ, Diamond Jubilee Exhibition

I got a lovely surprise email from Zoe Robertson earlier in the week, she sent me these images from the ACJ show in Birmingham. It is always a strange thing when you pack work off to an exhibition, but you have not been able to visit in person to see it. So this was lovely to be able to see what the exhibition looked as a whole and also how my work had been displayed.

Zoe is also showing work at the ACJ exhibition and is Course Director for the BA(Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing at Birmingham Uni where the exhibition is being shown first.

Thanks Zoe!

New silk yarns

I have some new yarns I have been working with, coloured silks. I am still at the test piece stage at the moment, so too soon to share with the outside world but thought I would share some images of the new yarns with you all. Am working with much smaller crochet hooks than I normally would and am using double strands. They have a very fine quality which I like and the test pieces feel very precious...more soon...

Happy Spring!

I love this time of year...everything is growing like mad in the garden and all the spring bulbs are popping up and jostling for their space. The prospect of another summer ahead...

Here are some of my favourite flowers at the moment from my garden. Cowslips, helebores, primroses,lupins, and my favourite pulmonaria.

Diamond Jubilee Exhibition

Here is a new image of my work for the ACJ Diamond Jubilee Exhibition. David Withycombe took the images for the exhibition.

I can't wait to see the catalogue for this exhibition and all 32 makers work.

NEUTOPIA: Sarah Narici's winning design

"Made are delighted to have teamed up with Central St. Martin’s to offer one 2nd year jewellery student the chance to have their design hand-made in our workshop in Kenya."

"Sarah Narici’s design caught the eye of all three judges due to her beautiful drawings and unusual design. The necklace is focused around the 2012 apocalyptic premonitions and Sarah’s creation explores the idea of new life and growth after obliteration. From the collar of bells around the neck, which represent new bulbs, flower petals cascade down the chest symbolising new life, rich with colour."

NEUTOPIA @CSM

Some images from the CSM NEUTOPIA show. I felt very fortunate to be invited to NEUTOPIA too see the work of up and coming jewellers at CSM. They are in their second year, so they still have a year of study left. I can't wait to see how their work develops over the next year!

I thought overall the works were bold, some playful, others dramatic and all presented in a very professional show. It was also great to see such diversity of design and character...obviously each students individual way of working has been encouraged which is such a positive thing for the future of jewellery in the UK. Congrats to all the students and staff involved in the project.

I have chosen five of my favourites from the show. The images are taken from the csm fashion blog I Granary, which tracks the work of students and is completely student led.

Images from the top: Go Un Lee, Claudia Rice, Momi Momii, Lola Elario and Percy Lau.

See more images from the show and behind the scenes here

NEUTOPIA

Agatha

Agatha is the oldest of all the chooks and is definitely in charge of the others! She has beautiful speckled feathers.

Named after: Agatha Christie
Likes: Dust baths, sunbathing,apples and nero kale
Dislikes: Sharing a dustbath with the others
Age: four
Breed: Speckled Sussex

Frida

This is Frida, she was bread as a battery chook and was born with mutant toes,the farm was having trouble homing them, so of course we couldn't wait to give her a good home! She is an egg laying machiene and is a little bit nuts, if you look closely you can see her beak ring as given half the chance she likes to steal the others feathers! I think for chooks they get on pretty well though!

Named after: Frida Kahlo
Likes: Looking for worms to eat and annoying Rosa and Agatha
Dislikes: Her punk rocker nose ring
Age: Two
Breed: hybrid Rhode Rock

Rosa

My sister visited recently and took some great pics of my chooks while they were playing under the trees...thought I would add some for you all to see...This is Rosa and she is a big scaredy cat or rather a Chicken!

Named after: Rosalind Franklin
Likes: Corn,cucumber and eating snow
Dislikes: People sneezing and any loud noises
Age: Two
Breed: Light Sussex

Tins

These were taken during a colour theory session with some of my students. Many of them brought in their own paints for the session and I couldn't resist taking some photos of them! There are also some tins being re-used to hold materials and tools.

These ones belong to Aimee and Bridgette, thanks for letting me share them with everyone.

The students are on the City and Guilds level 2 course at City Lit and are currently taking part in a live project with Annoushka...more on that story soon...

ACJ, Diamond Jubilee Exhibition

On Monday the ACJ Diamond Jubilee Exhibition opened in Birmingham. I was very fortunate to be one of the chosen Jewellers for this exhibition, along with others, including, Maria Hanson, Zoe Robertson, Stephen Bottomley, Kelvin J Birk, Terry Hunt and Lynne Bartlett.

"Thirty two makers have created pieces especially for the event, resulting in a wide variety of individual interpretations in precious and non-precious materials. All the participating designers have embraced the theme of Jubilee celebration with style, irreverence, humour and panache. Crushed gemstones, sweets and jellies, ribbon, graphite powder, flocked and sublimated materials, rub shoulders with diamonds, silver and 18ct gold, in a glorious celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s sixty years reign.

All the pieces were selected by a distinguished judging panel chaired by
Professor Jack Cunningham, which included Corinne Julius, Jacqueline Gestetner, Joanna Hardy, Kath Libbert and Karen Dell’Armi."

"The exhibition opens at the School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University, and then starts its tri-nation tour to Llantrisant, South Wales before showing at the newly opened Goldsmiths’ Centre, London – the first exhibition to be held there after its’ own opening Royal exhibition. This is a testament to the Association’s high profile, and to the Centre’s commitment to showing work in non-traditional as well as traditional materials, and used in non-traditional ways."

ACJ Diamond Jubilee Exhibition, will be showing at...
Birmingham School of Jewellery, Birmingham, 12th to 30th March 2012
Llantrisant Gallery, Wales, 1st to 31th May 2012
Goldsmiths’ Centre, London,11th to 16th June
SH Gallery, Edinburgh, 2nd to 28th July
North Glasgow College, 27th to 31st August

Images from top to bottom: Terry Hunt, Lynne Bartlett, Zoe Robertson.

More to follow soon...

NEUTOPIA @CSM

This Friday, Jewellery students at Central Saint Martins will showcase NEUTOPIA, a Jewellery Runway Show at CSM's new home in Kings Cross. A Collaborative project with the company MADE.


"You will be immersed into an energetic and theatrical show exploring our vision
for the future.

Faced with the turbulence of an era and an environment increasingly troubled
and distressed, our work explores the rebirth of the 21st century. The show reflects an awakening of the senses and the mind, describing the ascension into a new Utopia.

Inspired by the Rites Of Spring, exoticism and nature take us back to our roots through a strong, ultra contemporary aesthetic.

The whole ensemble has sensitive focus on the ethical and sustainable, not only to avoid material dogmatism, but also to sustain the vision for our new world view"

More on this event to follow soon...