In 2024 I returned to making after the birth of my daughter and several years in academia. My workshop sits within the eaves of an Edwardian coach house, tucked between red-brick terraces in Sheffield’s vintage quarter. I specialise in sandcasting, an ancient method done entirely by hand. No two raw castings are ever the same. This unique quality is something I celebrate, highlighting the tide line formed by the two halves of the mould. To me, this organic line feels nostalgic, echoing the rugged Dorset coastline where I spent my childhood, and now the rocky escarpments of the wild Peak District.
As a more modern addition, champagne, olive green and brown gems can be placed inside the sand mould. These must withstand the molten silver’s heat and be captured as it cools. This gives them their unique character, as if revealed by erosion or discovered like a fossil cracked from stone.