Showing posts with label scarves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scarves. Show all posts

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Blog Collaboration with Laura Parkin

Hello all, ok, I'm back on it!!! Life has taken me by the feet and swung me upside down a few times, but I'm back! The really great news is that for a few months at least, SlickSilver Jewellery is going to get 100% of my work attention! As a result of this new pieces have hit my website, but more on that later.  I want to introduce another blog collaborator, woven textile designer, Laura Parkin.  I found her recently quite by accident and I think her work is really beautiful, so I asked her a few questions about where she finds her inspiration.


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

The coastal areas where I live in Northumberland influence the ideas of pattern and scale in my work. Stripes are predominant in the areas; I can take ideas of proportion of stripe from objects such as boats. These ideas stripes can be transferred into warp or weft designs in my fabric.

 My clients massively influence my use of colour in my work; I tend to work on a bespoke basis. Clients individual colour ways can be influenced by there personal preference of colour.


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

I would love to have a go at spinning, as it would be great to make a product from the beginning. I could start from the raw materials can work all the way through to the final finished products.



3. If you could see one famous person owning one of your designs, who would it be?
Amelia Fox. I always see her on Silent Witness wearing lovely scarves, I think one of mine would look lovely on her.


4. Where can fans buy your work?
My work can be bought from my online shop (a link can be found on my website www.lauraparkin.co.uk), Milk It Craft Market www.artandcraftsmarket.co.uk and at local craft fairs I am attending.
So what do you think? Aren't these colours and textures just stunning?  I hope that you'll all rush out and order something pretty from Laura and it just remains for me to say thank you to her for taking part.

As I mentioned I am currently working full time on my jewellery and this week some new work has been added to my website.  I have introduced the Pansies Collection to the Aluminium Collection and Rose Petal Necklace to the Signature Collection.  Both of these items are available from http://www.slicksilverjewellery.co.uk

See you soon!!


Pansies I Necklace

Rose Petal Necklace








Thursday 28 July 2011

Colour and Texture Collaboration

As an admirer of the work of many others I thought it would be a good idea to show you that of an artist I particularly like and whose work I feel has a synergy with my own and I really hope to make this a regular feature of my blog.

I recently did a mini interview with Mhairi Wild, designer of utterly beautiful knitted and felted accessories. I asked her the following and would like to thank her for taking part:-

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?
The Scottish coastal communities that I have visited and researched form the basis for much of my inspiration.  The colour, texture and narrative all play a part.  A constant companion on these trips is the work of poet Thomas A Clark, more specifically, ‘Distance and Proximity’.  The visual patterning and imagery of the written word throws up inspiration in equal measure, and is a core part of my work.  So far the Island communities of Easdale, Seil, Mull, Iona, Harris and Lewis, are among the list of inspirational settings and more recently, Cromarty, Auchmithie, and Crovie on the East coast of the Scottish mainland.

Is there a craft medium that you've always had a hankering to try?
I’ve always fancied trying my hand at ceramics.  I’ve dabbled a bit in the past, but would like to develop my skills to perhaps incorporate ceramics and textiles in some way.

If you could see one famous person wearing your designs, who would it be?
Without hesitation, I’d say Tilda Swinton.  I’m a great admirer of her cinematic and community work.  She is well known for supporting the Arts, across the board.  I think she would like the flexibility of my ‘gather’ scarves as they work well as a statement piece and are just as happy worn with a big jacket and wellies.

Where can fans buy your work?
My work is available online from Papa Stour, and baffie.  My biggest retailer is Concrete Wardrobe, Broughton Street, Edinburgh, where I am launching a new extended range with homewares, and new gathers on 1st August.  Sheila Fleet Gallery in Kirkwall is my Orkney retailer, with The Tayberry Gallery holding my work, a bit closer to home.  I’m diversifying into luxury handpainted yarns, inspired by the islands, and am working on a new woven textiles collection for Winter 2012-13.






These stunning designs from Mhairi caught my eye for the rich colour and texture and three dimensional quality she manages to achieve.  They are statement pieces.  The skinny scarf is part of her very latest collection. Please do make sure that you visit her website and either treat your self or make sure that everyone around you knows what's on your Christmas list!  You can find Mhairi
 Wild at www.mhairiwild.co.uk

The View From The Tate
Colour and texture have long been my inspiration and my anodised aluminium jewellery lets me fully explore that and you will see from the images below that I was naturally drawn to Mhairi's work as it similar in concept to my own whilst being in a completely different medium. It would be wonderful to think that some day both of our designs will be worn together.
Sandstorm In The Desert
As you can see, we have often used similar colours in our work and I particularly love to introduce a texture which I achieve by using layers of powdered pigments, alcohol inks, aluminium inks and aluminium dyes.

For further information see www.slicksilverjewellery.co.uk