I am passionate about silver. The excitement of starting a new project, the challenges that you encounter during the making process and the delight of holding and looking at the finished object delivers a job satisfaction like no other.

Despite not having a brain particularly well equipped to deal with mathematics, I have always had a fascination with geometric shapes, symmetry and pattern, which has been evident in my work throughout my creative career from being at school.

My earlier silversmithing pieces came from a period of experimentation with basic 3D forms – in particular, the sphere or hemisphere – creating paper machè models and systematically breaking them down into sections to then re-assemble the pieces in new formations. Whilst this led to the realisation that I would always arrive back at another geometric shape – a square, a triangle – it also introduced curves and dynamic angles that would not have appeared in a simple drawing.

Using those discoveries as a basis, I create a range of modes to use as a visual aide and now find myself begin to focus on the composition and structure, rather than the creation of, shape and form when designing new pieces. My mantra used to be heavily weighted to the function of a piece “designed for the interactive environment of the dining table where the silver is not just on display, but there to be actively used.”, but while function is no less important to me, I am finding that my work is becoming more sculptural and the pieces command more of a presence within the space they occupy.

Part of this process has been the introduction of other, complimentary, materials – predominantly wood and stainless steel. These materials have brought colour, contrast and texture to an otherwise minimalist aesthetic, but perhaps their greatest influence has been in the structure of the pieces. The steel or wood creates a framework that then dictates the form of the silver, whether it be cladding around a skeletal wooden frame or a bowl that mimics the curves of the steel stand underneath and creating a pool of reflection and illusion. The silver has become a connecting component that completes a piece, in some cases actually giving it its function. Take the silver away and you take the sense out of it.

• February 2017 (2D) Design: Silversmiths, Silver Award. Awarded by the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council.
• September 2016 Best Established Maker Award. Awarded at Salisbury Contemporary Craft & Heritage Festival by the Salisbury Journal.
• October 2011 Goldsmiths’ Fair Best New Merchandise Award. Awarded by The Goldsmiths’ Company of London
• April 2011 Goldsmiths’ Fair Graduate Bursary Award. Awarded by The Goldsmiths’ Company of London
• March 2011 Cookson Precious Metal Sponsorship. Awarded by British Silver Week
• March 2010 Museums Sheffield Metalwork Design Award: Shortlisted Finalist. Awarded by Sheffield Museums Trust & Sheffield Forgemasters
• March 2010 Cookson Precious Metal Bursary. Awarded by British Silver Week
• March 2009 Cookson Precious Metal Sponsorship. Awarded by British Silver Week
• May 2008 Esmee Fairburn Gold Bursary: Commended Award. Awarded by Bishopsland Educational Trust
• April 2008 Goldsmiths’ Company Silver Grant Award. Awarded by The Goldsmiths’ Company of London & Bishopsland Educational Trust
• April 2007 Goldsmiths’ Company Silver Grant Award. Awarded by The Goldsmiths’ Company of London & Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

• August 2008 – September 2010 Starter Studio Programme for Emerging Designer Silversmiths, Yorkshire ArtSpace Society, Sheffield
• September 2007 – August 2008 Bishopsland Postgraduate Training Course, Bishopsland Educational Trust, South Oxfordshire
• September 2004 – July 2007 BA(Hons) Designed Metalwork and Jewellery, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire