Galleries, Museums and birds

This blog is being bought to you this week from London!  We're house-sitting for friends and taking the opportunity to visit galleries and other lovely places!

Yesterday was a wonderful day which was spent at the Victoria & Albert Museum, where we idled many happy hours in the ceramics, contemporary glass, silver and jewellery sections.  My husband is an artist and we are both inspired by colour and texture and whilst we don't always like the same pieces, we are generally happy in the same sections particularly the more contemporary works! I found the more modern jewellery so inspirational. This gorgeous collection of blue birds were made as an installation by Claire Twomey using various shades of Wedgewood clay.

Today was shopping day - well, it has to be done, doesn't it?! Of course, we had to look at all the shoe shops and jewellery shops! We finished the day in Hatton Garden - it's a good thing that I'm not into diamonds!!  I did come away with a Cookson's new catalogue and plenty of ideas for my wishlist.

We're hoping to fit in a visit to Tate Modern, the Lanes in Brighton and as many other lovely arty places as we can.

On that note - I'm off for a cosy night tucked up with my Cookson's catalogue!

See you next week.

Glass and Leaf Collaboration

Hi again folks! Well, we're off to the Flameworks meeting tonight (where we went last week, but on the wrong night!!) so hopefully I will actually remember to go! I blame my age!

Last week you may remember that I held a competition for guessing the weight of a pendant and I ended up with 2 winners!! The closest answer came through in time but didn't show up in my inbox until after I'd announced my winner, so luckily, I had made two pendants in a similar style and I was able to supply both of them with prizes which are on their way!

The winner I announced was Stevie Davies and when I saw Stevie's work I was enthralled and asked her if she would be part of my collaborative blog series and here she is!

Coaster - detail

1. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?

 That’s a hard one! Whenever I am asked this question, I tend to start by saying that I not like most other artists I know. I don’t have specific sources of inspiration, not in the traditional sense anyway. My work is an exploration of glass as a medium rather that a theme represented in glass. I am constantly enthralled by the way it softens and moves during the firing process and how the way I can manipulate it to get specific (and sometimes unexpected) reactions. Most recent works involve the manipulation of wire through various textile techniques such as lace and crochet. The shapes and designs in wire then inspire the way I incorporate them into the main body of glass.

Crochet Panel

2. Is there a craft medium you’ve always had a hankering to try your hand at?

I am lucky enough to have had to opportunity to try many different mediums and techniques though my career. Starting with my Contemporary Decorative Crafts degree and through into my 4 years of creative practice, meeting numerous artists and making connections. I suppose I’d have to say the medium of metal, allow many things can come under that umbrella, everything from large scale sculpture through to intricate jewellery. .

Statement Jewellery

3. If you could see one famous person owning one of your designs, who would it be?

Well, I had to think about this one. The person who I would love to own a piece of my work would be Steven Fry, I have a couple of reason for this and I shall explain. The first is that I find the way men view my work is in a very analytical way, they try to work out how a piece is made, especially my 3d sculptures. I find it really interesting to watch, at a show I can see the cogs in the brain ticking over and I know the questions they are wanting to ask. I think Mr Fry would do this too, although he is probably clever enough to know guess anyway, and that would make me smile. Secondly, I love to think that my work can make people happy, I think it is an honor to sell a piece. Whether someone has fallen in love with a piece so much they are willing to part with their hard earned money or whether they are buying a gift for a loved one.

Climbing Rose Canvas

4. Where can fans buy your work?

 I exhibit and sell at various shows, festivals and galleries around the country, primarily in the midlands.

Online include my website www.stevie-davies.co.uk

My folksy shop – www.folksy.com/shops/StevieDaviesContemporaryGlassArt

Ivy Hanging Scultpure

So there you have it, this is what makes Stevie Davies, Contemporary Glass Artist tick - if you love it as much as I do, then why not treat yourself to something lovely and tactile for yourself or your home.

Seeing Stevie's gorgeous Ivy sculpture made me think immediately of what I could show you that I've made this week.  Following an enquiry I've mostly been working on rings made from aluminium and I'll show you more of those next week, however, I've also made a brooch which is a bit of new venture for me.  I loved the leaf shapes I've been exploring in my Signature Collection of late so I decided to enlarge one of the shapes and curve it.  Once I'd done that I felt it was probably too large for a pendant so I decided to turn it into a pin brooch. What do you all think?

Leaf Brooch

I think it looks almost like a tribal shield, but I do really like it! We'll have to see if it's a success or not! It features a lump of reticulated silver at the head of the pin too along with a Jackson Pollack-esque handpainted design on the aluminium.  If you want to find out more about it you can find it on my Signature Collection page http://slicksilverjewellery.co.uk/page11.htm

All that remains now is to thank Stevie Davies for taking part in my collaborative blog at such short notice and to say I'll see you all next week!