Spotlight on: Billie M Vigne

I wanted to share with you the work of Billie M Vigne.

BMV is a Metalsmith & jewellery artist. I met Billie a few years ago now while she was training with us at City Lit on our accredited jewellery courses level 2&3. Billie was then invited back for our Emerging Maker in Residence scheme and it has been a delight in the last two years to see her practice develop and build, exhibiting in collaborative exhibitions and Pop Up events.

Here are some images of her work, including some from her series: "Tubes", "Hollow geo rings", "Plumbbobs" & "Z.E.E.P."

Billie says about her work..."Aesthetic inspiration comes from ethnic and tribal jewellery and the Theatre of the Bauhaus especially, but also from any source which disrupts the stasis of the form from which it emerges. As such, the influence of DIY music culture has been the greatest, albeit manifested in a subtle way; the Fall, Tom Waits, Fad Gadget, Bowie, Wendy Carlos…"

You can read about and see more of BMV's work on her website here

Follow/like her Facebook page here

And you can now buy pieces from her regular stockist Darkroom

Postcards from Lyme...

Last month I was in Lyme Regis for a week, on holiday. Here are a few things which caught my eye...

Arts and Crafts Design Award 2015: Nominee

I am delighted to be accepted as a nominee in this years Arts and Crafts Design Award 2015. The winners will be announced in January 2016...

"Arts & Crafts Design Award is an international, annual competition for all nominated Artisans, Craftspeople and Designers. The primary aim of the Award is to honor and support the best ideas and concepts and recognize its excellent realization. The Award is not divided in different categories. Rather it covers all artcraft-ideas and design concepts. For example the following: JEWELRY FURNITURE CERAMICS GLASS METALSMITHING WOOD TEXTILES MOSAIC AND MORE"

Below are my three featured pieces.

You can see my profile page for the award here:

What I am looking at right now....

Just looking through some images I have collected over the last year. Just to see them as a whole and strands that connect them. Time at last to catch up on some thinking, planning and making...

Scene from the Wicker Man. V&A Jewellery 1820-1860 Lombardy. V&A Jewellery 1820-1860 Italy. Amelia Earhart pennant from Washington Museum. Cottingley Fairies. Folk Art – Tate - Wicker Man. George Smart – Folk Art - from Tonbridge Wells. Silver and Gold Threads. Rope detail from Lyme. Binding ropes from Lyme. Scene from Picnic at hanging Rock. Sweetheart pin cushion – Folk Art - Tate. Sweet heat pin cushion. Little Women dolls. Moth Dolls from Washington Museum. Pitt River Baskets. Pitt River jewels. Pit River shell Jewellery. Pitt Rivers Snow shoes. Séance at a shell grotto. Spring Fed by Andrew Wyeth. Seventh Tree artwork. Fish at Dungeness. Fish from Washington Museum.