I worked for many years in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, making patterns, designs and miniature sculptures as commissions for Theo Fennell and Faberge St Petersburg, as well as many other names and companies.
I use wax or milliput to carve the designs which, when finished, will have a silicone mold made of it. This goes to the castor who will use the lost wax process to cast in the metal of choice, silver, gold or platinum. When cast there are processes needed to be done including chasing and polishing to give the recognisable metal shine and finish. And maybe stones will need to be set also. I do all the processes apart from casting myself.
I pride myself with the attention to detail that is put in my work. This takes many many hours, and requires me to regulate my breathing and be in almost a medative state to do. The Green man pendant for example took the best part of a month to carve.
Bespoke wedding rings with ornate and unusual designs are a regular and enjoyable challenge, bringing life and reality to their design.
I also use clay or plastilene when making sculptures. These also are molded and cast. Surprisingly, quite a few of these are as commissions to various military regiments commemorating campaigns.
Since moving to Malvern I enjoy teaching my skills of sculpting, working in wax and of carving milliput on a 1:1 basis in my studio.
