Please tell us about yourself and your jewellery practice? How long have you been making jewellery for?

I began my professional practice when I left Manchester Metropolitan University in 2002. My work encompasses wearable objects from everyday jewellery to large, sculptural pieces, sometimes in collaboration with performance artists. I have always been fascinated at how an object placed on the body can be brought to life. Moving with the wearer, it becomes a part of them, an extension of their body, much like a mask or a puppet. When a person resonates with a piece of jewellery, the effects of putting it on can be hugely powerful and this remains the driving force in my work.

Did you study jewellery or are you self-taught ?

My degree was in 3D Design which introduced me to a variety of materials and processes until jewellery became my specialism in my final year. I chose to work predominantly with anodised aluminium, which is not a traditional material for jewellery making. My tutors could not teach me and there was no literature about it at the time so I learned through talking to other makers and through trial and error. After graduating I shared a studio with my mother, also a jeweller, where I learned the more traditional skills.

Tell us about your design process? Where do you gain inspiration? Do you work from drawings?

My inspiration comes from many different sources such as architecture, dance and music, but visually the overriding influence is nature, particularly feathers, wings, scales and other overlapping patterns. What comes out is rarely the direct result of a single influence but a manifestation of everything I’ve ever resonated with. I am constantly observing the world around me. I keep sketch books to record ideas. I make models out of paper. I play with materials to discover what they can do and how I can exploit their properties. I allow for mistakes to happen which can then be explored and perhaps recreated with intention.

Tell us about your making process?

I work with pre-anodised sheet, produced for the signage industry. It has been submerged in a sulphuric acid solution with an electric current passed through it, which forces a layer of transparent oxide to grow from the surface. The metal arrives, a pale shade of grey, until I apply colour dyes that absorb into the porous, transparent oxide. Spirit based inks can be used in combination with water based dyes to create a variety of effects. I colour the metal in pieces that are roughly A5 size, seal the colour in, then proceed to cut out and form the metal into finished pieces of jewellery. Pieces in the Flight collection are embossed with a lined texture, like a feather, while ear wires and brooch pins are individually built into each piece.

Where do you currently make your pieces? Tell us about your studio space?

I rent a studio in New England House, which is a vibrant, creative hub in the centre of Brighton. I love being surrounded by other creatives who are all on hand to help each other, sharing knowledge and skills. The connections I have made here have had a huge, positive impact on the work I am now producing. An engineer has made bespoke tools for me, while a cabinet maker has made benches for the studio in return for jewellery. In 2015 I made a music video in collaboration with a filmmaker, also working in the building. It’s great to feel supported and there really is a wealth of talent.