All my jewellery is handmade, and because of the nature of the making processes, each piece is unique.
I work using resin. It is a liquid which I mix with hardener and colour with pigments which are freshly blended by hand with each casting. I enjoy working in both small and large scale as they present different creative and practical challenges.
The larger resin items, such as pebble necklaces, are more sculptural, most time here is spent with the many stages of sanding that are necessary to change a raw resin shape to a finished smooth piece that is both aesthetically pleasing and a joy to wear.
The smaller pieces, such as earrings and pendants, are colour miniatures. Using silver sheet, tube and wire I make small silver vessels in which the resin is cast. With these items most time is spent in working silver, as with small encased bodies of resin the sanding component, done only by hand, is minimal.
Resin is a clear liquid that becomes solid when mixed with hardener, coloured when mixed with pigment. Indeed, it is the opportunity to work with colour that is one of the most exciting characteristics of resin for me. Tints are freshly blended by hand with each casting, & this gives enormous scope to combine & contrast colour, transparency and opacity with each new composition. The same shape cast differently gives a completely new look, which in turn presents great creative opportunities. There is a sense of alchemy in this process, as liquid transforms into solid, and of anticipation as the final colour combination emerges as the resin solidifies.
The larger resin items, such as pebble necklaces, are bold and sculptural. These beads have been cast from limestone pebbles that I collected from Traeth Pic (White Beach) on Ynys Mon (Anglesey). I polish the original pebble and use this as the master to make a rubber mould in which I cast the resin. The subsequent new resin pebble needs many stages of sanding to produce a smooth surface, which can be polished to a high gloss or left with a satin finish. To me the tactile quality of the finished piece is just as important as its visual aesthetic.
The more delicate pieces, such as earrings, cufflinks and pendants are simple silver shapes that hold resin. Using silver sheet, tube and wire I make small silver vessels in which the resin is cast. In these miniature compositions the sleek precision of the metal complements the warm hues of the resin contained therein. In producing these pieces most of my time is spent in the making of the silver shapes, the sanding component, which is entirely done by hand, is much less than with the bolder resin pieces.
