I am currently working on a commission from Paynes & Son to make a series of printed enamel panels to celebrate scenes of Oxford. The project will be ongoing and I am happy to be sending my initial batch off today. Oxford is such an amazing place to visit and so many vistas to chose from.....
Check out the next enamel workshop weekend at The Jewellery and Silversmithing Design Academy in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter HERE I am delighted to post this lovely review from kathryn Partington about the recent set of courses I held at Rajesh Gogna's Jewellery & Silversmithing Academy in Birmingham.
" .....I am investigating new techniques to refresh, produce new work and develop new directions. This creative process has started by indulging and attending a series of enameling classes taught and delivered by the very knowledgeable, experienced and lovely Ruth Ball this weekend at The Jewellery-Silversmithing Design Academy. Located in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, just a stones through away from my workshop it has been the ideal setting to take part in training that is accessible, highly valuable, practical and in-depth. The workshop is well-organized and well equipped. The natural light is captured beautifully and the design layout of the studio has been well-considered by its founder Rajesh Gogna. It is well worth a visit and investment to take part in a Masterclasses here. I can highly recommend! I feel inspired and motivated to develop techniques learned further and work with the material/process through experimentation, exploration of surface treatment/finishing and textural qualities. The workshops I took part in were; Mark-making, Contemporary Cloisonné, Surface treatment and Finishing...." READ MORE > http://kathrynpartington.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/indulging-in-new-techniques/ Kathryn is an experianced jeweller, designer, maker and artist. She produces one-off wearable items of jewellery and has a background training within the discipline of tableware ceramics & printed textiles. By combining these skills she explores surface pattern & ornamentation in a diverse range of process and material manipulation. This leads to a juxaposition of simple to complex compositions by placement & layering to form pieces that can be considered as not just items of jewellery but pieces of art within their own right. Her works include the combination of natural and hand dyed screen-printed silks, hand engraved, glazed, printed slip cast bone china/porcelain, decorative applications of pattern to metals in unconventional ways. This enables the creation of jewellery pieces that are extremely unique within the arena of contemporary jewellery, craft & fashion. She is currently exhibiting her work with Velvet da Vinci in the Exhibition "Magic City" View her website here. Kathryns work in enamel on the course was stunning, she followed the set excercises and produced some really professional samples. I just cannot wait to see how she translates these surfaces in to her design work ! Image Copyright : Kathryn Partington 2013 Samples of the pieces Kathryn made on "Exploring Enamel Surfaces" One day Workshop Another "must see" exhibition if you can make it into London is the Ultra Vanities Exhibition at the Goldsmiths Hall. I couldn't take photos and didn't have time to soak in all the details of each case but needless to say I was inspired ! There is a report about the show HERE on the Semperey Website - and here at The Jewellery Editor
> get there before the 20th ! Well worth a visit is this summer is the Royal Academy Exhibition in London. I was lucky to be able to nip in yesterday after collecting some work from the Goldsmiths Centre. ( The Rocks exhibition is now closed ) There are so many wonderful exhibits in the show, in particular the print is very strong this year. One of my favourite rooms is hung by RA printmaker/woodengraver Anne Desmet. Her fine selection illustrates the diverse and stunningly complex work being practised today. Its a big treat to be able to see work close up and view the wide range of techniques and stlyes. However, of specific interest for me, even before I acended the stairs, even before I'd entered inside the building, was the brilliant sculpture by El Anatsui which adorns the front facia of the Academy. I've been reading about his work and was so keen to see a piece for real. This is one of his largest pieces, each one he makes is seemingly bigger than the last. It is totally stunning, not just for its scale but for the fact that it is fabricated from thousands of old bottle tops. A wonderful solution to recycling via creating art, but its true that El Anatsui's work goes beyond this point of making and that his work defines the ethereal and the beautiful. His endevours are of the rare type where you look past the material and the method, and you see through into a deeply visual asthetic, which astounds......... The piece is titled : "TSIATSIA" - Searching for Connections. Its been a very busy few weeks.....Haven't done much blog posting this past month, as I haven't been anywhere near the computer, so here is just a flavor of what I've been up to ! I must admit that haven't touched base with the workshop either recently as I've been travelling far and wide - I spent the first week of June in Italy with my family. It was a wonderful time, catching up with each other, sight seeing, and simply pottering about together. It was bliss ! - Italy is the perfect tonic and we stayed on Lake Garder which is so stunning. As usual I took a zillion photographs ! so the sketch book is full of yet more ideas and inspration ! In mid June I had another chance to work alongside my friend and brilliant metal artist Rebecca Gouldson, who is working on a large scale commission at A J Wells on the Isle of White. I took the opportunity to get some self initiated work done at the factory. Its been very interesting trying out new ideas and also taking the time to develop some images for a commercial range that I am hoping to finally resolve and fully develop very soon. This image is a work in progress from my "lightscape" series. I am taking a time to work through the basis of this work, sometimes its a long period of working before I'm settled in a design flow. I worry that I should be quicker but this series is still evloving.....more on this oneday.... The past couple of weekends have been teaching at The Jewellery & Silversmithing Design Academy in Birmingham, which is hosted by the award winning silversmith Rajesh Gogna. Its been a wonderful set of workshops and I've really enjoyed sharing enamel techniques and seeing how each person makes their own unique mark on enamel methods. Each participant made fabulous work and the groups were good fun. Just a few snaps below but you can view more images from the workshops if you CLICK HERE So back to my workshop today and....well a tidy up is due ! but next, I'm hoping for a few months of making !
ROCKS - Exploring the Natural World Through Jewellery & Silversmithing 21 May - 5 July 2013 The Rocks Exhibition has come about through a collaboration with Chelsea Fringe, which runs along the Chealsea Flower Show e. The Goldsmiths Centre asked members of the Goldsmithing, Silversmithing and allied trades to respond to the theme 'Rocks'. This exhibition is fantastic response and showcases an exhibition that encapsulated the diverse and numerous ways that crafts people create from their responses to nature.
Check out the stunning work on exhibtion at ROCKS Golldsmiths Centre on their pintrest site : http://pinterest.com/gsmithscentre/rocks/ There are some very exciting events taking place this week at The Goldsmiths’ Centre. The ‘Rocks’ exhibition in association with Chelsea Fringe festival opens TOMORROW, and is accompanied by a week of very exciting and special events. For more information and to have a look at what’s happening this week please visit :
www.goldsmiths-centre.org/exhibitions Open from 21 May - 5 July 2013 Times : Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00 and Saturday 1 June 10:00 - 16:00 House of Jewellers featured my Contemporary Classic Ring Collection on the SO SENSATIONAL blog today
> http://www.sosensational.co.uk/blog-house-of-jewellers-bespoke-fine-silver " Shoreline " has been selected by the Goldsmiths Center for their exhibition "ROCKS" which takes place in May as part of the Chelsea Fringe > More info Here
My Contemporary Classic Collection has been selected by " House of Jewellers " for their online shop. House of Jewellers is an online jewellery and silverware store selling designer originals. Based in London, they specialise in contemporary British design. Their designers are all outstanding silversmith jewellers and many of their unique designs are highly sought after by silver collectors. House of Jewellers’ mission is to support independent jeweller silversmiths, by showcasing and selling their original handmade products. > http://www.houseofjewellers.co.uk/aboutus.asp The BSW exhibition of silver and furniture at the Goldsmiths Centre opens today ! The show is really spectacular and if you are in London or can venture out, it is certainly worth the trip. Enamellers selected for the show are Phill Barnes, Rachel Gogerly, Jenny Edge, Tamizan Saville, Janine Greenberg and me ! My work includes a typically diverse selection of the work I produce. Two pieces are from one of my first collections when I found delight in paisley patterns as a design element. Its interesting to refelct on them in comparison to the four modern pieces which give a taster of my latest theme "micro-worlds", where I find facination in images that are part of invisable worlds, objects hidden to the eye. The dish is a celebration of "fizz" patterns similar to the bubbels in champagne and the imagery within the figures link to shapes found under the microscope and scientific studies. One day, I'd like to make more of them as a larger art-based style of work, echoing the other influence contained within them which is the installation of Anthony Gormely's iron men on Crosby beach. As an incidental aspect, in working with gold foils in combination with white and yellow enamels, plus the evolution of the outer shape, these figure pieces are also reminisent of egypt, making them look like modern day mummies. Clcik here for info and directions to the Goldsmiths Centre http://www.goldsmiths-centre.org/exhibitions/ The images here are just quick snaps from my mobile phone to give you a taster of what you can see... Enamel Dish Ruth Ball - Wood & Silver Base Tom Sutton From the 9 - 13 April I will be exhibiting selected silverware in the Festival of Silver & Furniture Exhibition at The Goldsmiths Centre 42 Britton Street Clerkenwell in London. Gordon Hamme writes : FESTIVAL OF SILVER CELEBRATES MASTER SILVERSMITHS OF THE FUTURE : The New-Wave of talent on show at Goldsmiths’ Centre includes forty members of British silver-making‟s hugely talented designers who will star in the prestigious Festival of Silver exhibition, now in its second year, from April 9-13 next year at the new Goldsmiths‟ Centre, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 5AD. Young, recently qualified and epitomising the fabled traditions of British silvermaking, the 40 new-wave designer-makers will include Kate Earlam, winner of the of the Goldsmiths‟ Company‟s young Designer Silversmith Award. Recently her award-winning vessel for displaying fruit was presented to the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh, where it is currently on display. In addition, the festival will showcase the work of outstanding – and established –British designer-makers, Brett Payne and William Lee and Wally Gilbert. For the first time, 20 of the UK‟s finest modern-day furniture makers including the Barnsley Workshop and Cato Design, will exhibit stylish, contemporary furniture so that silversmith‟s works can be displayed in situ to best advantage. The Festival of Silver is a selling exhibition supported by the Goldsmiths‟ Company and the „Furniture Makers‟. Silversmiths and furniture makers will be on hand to discuss their work. Says Gordon Hamme founder of the Festival of Silver: “Visitors will be invited to browse in an informal and relaxed atmosphere, and to discuss a silversmith‟s or furniture maker‟s work. They can enjoy the caché of buying a one-off piece and discussing bespoke commissioning with the makers. It will also present an opportunity to talent-spot the master silversmiths of the future. With prices from £150 to £10,000, there will be something for everyone.” For information about Festival of Silver events and participating silversmiths: www.britishsilverweek.co.uk. Opening hours 10.30am to 5.30pm. Admission free. Farringdon is the nearest London Underground Station. Ends. The Goldsmith‟s Centre The Goldsmiths‟ Centre is a purpose-built development created by the Goldsmiths‟ Company serving as a hub for members of the jewellery, silversmithing and allied trades, as well as for the general public. After seven years in the making, this visionary initiative is now up and running having been officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra on April 25, 2012. This centre of excellence, which brings together like-minded people, as well as being a catalyst for creativity, is located in the heart of London‟s Clerkenwell, an area with a long history of silversmithing and watchmaking. The new Centre provides workshop space, conference facilities as well as a state-of-the-art venue for exhibitions and events. With an on-site café, the Centre is destined to become a popular, thriving social hub and meeting point. Delighted to be included in the Saturday Telegraph Magasine this weekend !
Check out the article on Page 18 by Jewellery Editor Victoria Bain Back from a week at AJ Wells on the Isle of White. I had a great time in the company of the brilliant Rebecca Gouldson who is working on an exciting large scale commission in enamel.
I also had chance to experiment with some new ideas for panels and I am now looking forward to my return in another few weeks time to complete the series of work. I was surprised and delighted to discover that my minature painted enamel tryptic is one of fifty pieces selected from the Walker Art Gallery's recent collections that are now on display in their current exhibition titled "New Works", which opens this weekend. The exhibition shows off an electic range of work, by eminent artist. Included in the cabinet displays are fine art ceramics by Richard Slee, silverware by Catherine Tutt, and fashion garments by Stell McCartney. Contemporary artworks include the presentation of Liverpool Sky Ladders by Yoko Ono, Anish Kapoor's Red In the Centre and Paula Rego's thought provoking printwork, plus much more. Read the Walker Art Gallery info here.
Read the Art-in-Liverpool review highlights here. View information about my display "Glass Metal Fire" at the Walker in 2010 The commission for the waiting room artwork for Broadgreen is now complete and in place. Each individual enamel Panel is 15x15cm. The outer perspex support frame is 80x80cm.
Each panel links through colour and image. Distinct colours on the edges define the sets which represent the themes of City Heritage / Landmarks, Parks & Green Spaces and Waterfront. The location is the waiting room of the breast screening unit in the Alexander Building at Broad Green Hospital in Liverpool. Open 4 Feb 2013. I have been working on my first public art commission and the pieces are finally in the closing stages and intstalation has begun ! This panel set is called "Waterfront" . This enamel artwork is now part of the waiting room in the Breast Screening Unit at Broadgreen Hospital Liverpool. Two more panels are to follow, to form a tryptic based on the enviroments in and around Liverpool.
I've been attending a another short course in laser cutting with the Bluecoat Print Workshops which were hosted at Liverpool John Moores University. Amazing what you can do with the click of buttons ! I must add that clicking buttons it the easy bit, programming and working the whole thing out is another story ! Examples of cutting and etching on wood , paper and plastic...
I exhibited a range of works with the BSW-British Festival of Silver Event at the Desire Fair in Winchester between the 16-18th of November.
My "unknown science hero" panel attracted a lot of attention. It was lovely showing work on the group stand and getting to know my fellow silversmiths. Particular highlights were the pieces made by Kate Earlam and Shaun Grace, two of the brilliant group of silversmiths that have recently graduated from the Bishopsland Silversmithing course. Thank You to the Fashionstlyeonlgy blog team for a lovely mention .... ".......Other designers who caught my eye were Ruth Ball with her beautifully enamelled and delicate artistic dishes for spices fit for a Maharaj....." For the full article click here : http://fashionstyleology.com/the-goldsmiths-company-30th-anniversary-fair/ I'm back now from the Goldsmiths fair, London. The show was really busy with visitor numbers up on last year. It was a great week with plenty of people interested in enamelling.
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Welcome to my posts. Here I add notes about events / interests / developmental work / and various inspiring stuff that catches my attention. Archives
January 2019
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