SCHOOLS.
"The Mid-Cornwall School of Jewellery". Situated in beautiful countryside between Lostwithiel, St Austell and The Eden Project. Lots of courses to choose from, offering the widest variety of techniques, processes and materials anywhere. For novice and expert alike, small classes, excellent facilities and experienced practitioner tutors. Check them out at www.mcsj.co.uk
GALLERIES / shows.
"Victoria Sewart Contemporary Jewellery". Owned and run by respected south west jeweller of the same name. Number 39 Southside Street in Plymouths' historic and picturesque Barbican. A brand new gallery dedicated to quality contemporary Jewellery and small works. All work is for sale. Two floors of big names...and some newer rising stars too. Also now running jewellery classes! Call 01752 220011 for opening hours. SEE MY WORK AT THIS GALLERY now. www.victoriasewart.com
"Llantarnum Grange Arts Centre".A mixed work gallery with changing showcases and featured artists throughout the year. Find them at; St Davids Road, Cwmbran, Wales. NP44 1PD.
JEWELLERY WEBSITES.
www.dazzle-exhibitions.com The ultimate touring selling exhibition goes to London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow. See all the makers on this site.
www.fingers.co.nz Contemporary jewellery in New Zealand. Distinctive and funky.
www.alternatives.it More innovative designs.
http://www.ganoksin.com/ Jewelry making, Tips from The Jeweler's bench - Jewelry making information center for the jeweler.
www.etsy.com Find out what craftsmen, designers and artists in the USA are up to! A site for you to buy and sell your work worldwide…set up your own virtual shop (there's automatic currency conversion). Many British jewellers sell here!
www.thecarrotbox.com A site by a jeweller about rings! She collects them, sells them, makes them….she's crazy about them. Read her blog for hot tips on what's in fashion. Many links to other jewellers.
MAGAZINES.
"Craftsman Magazine". A great monthly magazine for craftspeople who want to keep their finger on the pulse. Every issue has very good articles on the nitty gritty of managing yourself as a working, earning craftsperson. Articles on selected designers, themed issues and so on. Check out their website. www.craftsman-magazine.com.
"Crafts". Bi-monthly, up-market magazine on cutting-edge comtemporary british crafts. A Crafts Council production. www.craftscouncil.org.uk
SUPPLIERS OF MATERIALS.
www.kernowcraft.com. Based in Cornwall. Semiprecious and precious beads and stones. Basic range of jewellery making materials, PMC, tools and miscellany. Very helpful, no minimum order.
www.cooksongold.com London and Birmingham based suppliers. Extensive range of every tool and material the silversmith and jeweller could need. Very good website for buying the goods on.
www.fredaldous.co.uk Long-standing Manchester based craft supplies company. If there's a craft product you need from resin to raffia, they'll likely have it at a fair price. Now suppliers of PMC.
www.tiranti.co.uk Sculpture suppliers. London & Reading based. Resins, casting materials, mould making materials, rubbers, woods, clays, plasters, tools...
www.fibrecrafts.com Fibres, yarns, wires, materials of a textile nature...yummy.
www.stewartgill.com Scrumptious pigments, powders, liquids, potions, paints rubber stamps and a fab book showing what you do with it all as a starting point.
www.polymerclaypit.co.uk Fimo, Primo, Sculpey, Silver Art Clay (another brand of precious metal clay such as PMC), and all the tools and bits and bobs you'd want.
www.cjresins.co.uk An established jeweller of resin and silver has started up her own line of resin products and accessories to her own specifications, with advice, classes and examples.
MUSEUMS.
"The Pitt Rivers Museum". Anthropology. Artifacts of every description from around the world, a treasure trove of interest packed into a stately room in Oxford. Glass cases with ancient coins of the world, tiny drawers containing spear tips. A paradise for your sketchbook. http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/
"Kettles Yard". A collections of paintings, drawings and objects by the likes of Alfred Wallis and Ben Nicholson, collected by the curator H.S.Ede. The museum in Cambridge was his home and the artwork is displayed in all the rooms. A beautiful and serene place of inspiration. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/
"The V&A Gallery". In London. Something for everybody to be inspired by here, one of the first and one of the best.
GREAT BOOKS.
"The Complete Metalsmith" by Tim McCreight.. The first jewellery manual I ever bought and still one of the best (now comes in more than one version - a simple manual as original, and a more 'elaborate' version for those with experience). Unitimidating, clearly laid out information with simple and achievable techniques and processes. The hand drawn illustrations and motivational comments are a nice touch.
"Jewellery Fundamentals of Metalsmithing" by Tim McCreight. Building on from the previous book, with more processes, glossy images and examples of others work. A very good all-round book.
"The Rings Book" by Jinks McGrath. A range of different stone settings explained. The book first explains how to make the rings, then how to make the settings, then how to set the stones. A really clear and concise manual which allows you to focus on each aspect in turn, giving a better understanding of the whole process. Take the information as you need it, or treat the sections together as projects to follow.
"Tips and Shortcuts for Jewellery Making" by Stephen O Keefe. A really 'friendly' book which clearly explains some fundamental processes and techniques in an easy to understand manner. For the more experienced jeweller, this book is still great as he lets us into some of his secrets for making things easier. Clever hints and tips for things you know well but have never done quite as efficiently make you think, "Why didn't I think of that?". Includes short simple projects for you to follow.
"The Art Of Enamelling" by Linda Darty. If you just buy one book on enamelling, then this should be it. Fantastic images of exciting work by many artists. Techniques, properties and methods all explained clearly. Examples of high class enamelling and more contemporary work...some of which 'break the rules' to produce highly innovative designs. Some specific projects are laid out near the back of the book for you to follow.
"The Handbook of Jewellery Techniques" & "Jewellery & Silversmithing Techniques" both by Carles Codina. Two very strong technical manuals which cover aspects of design and construction, with many excellent photographs of Codinas and colleagues distinctive style. Some specific project are set for yu to follow.
"Moving Metal" by Adolf Steiner. A manul of Repousse, Chasing and basic Forging techniques, laid out in clear and concise chapters. Not a sumptuous coffee-table book, but the best book for me on the subjects.
"Resin Jewellery" by Kathie Murphy. Lots of information and good images. How to get started and what to think about, without actually setting you specific projects.
"Jewellery of Our Time" by Helen W Drutt English & Peter Dormer. A big book of fabulous contemporary jewellery from makers around the world. Luscious photographs, lots of information about the artists and the times.
"Paper, Metal, Stitch" by Maggie Grey & Jane Wild. Artwork constructed beautifully and cleverly. Scrummy art-textiles with metals lightly sprinkled throughout.
"1000 Rings", "500 Brooches", "500 Bracelets" all by Lark Books. Three beautiful compendiums of wonderful, contemporary jewellery.
ARTISTS WHO INSPIRE ME.
Robert Dancik. Jeweller, sculptor, maker of small works. Inovative ground breaking stuff.
Robert Ebendorf. Jeweller, maker of small works, also a groundbreaking designer.
Peter Blake. Mixed-media artist. Painting, collage, assemblage.
Joseph Cornell. Mixed-media, assemblage (well known for his boxes).
David Kemp. Cornish artist, sulptor and 'mad-inventor'. Mixed-media, reclaimed materials.
Mari Andrews. Beautiful, sometimes ethereal sculpture. Mixed-media.
Lee Bontecue. Extraordinary sculptures and 2D relief works. Mixed media, lots of resin and wire structures.
Lynne Walters. Welsh wire artist of witty works, large and small. Clever use of wire as a 3D drawing medium.
Roy Ray. Textural painted works. Composition, colour, materials and surface, working together to create evocative and compelling artworks.
Ralph Freeman. Another artist of textural painted works with his own distinctive style. Composition, colour, materials and surface, working together to create evocative and compelling artworks.