What’s the inspiration for your works?
I get excited about material alchemy, geology, environmentalism and craftivism. Sustainable making is always my starting point. It's something that evolves with the way I make, as my knowledge, perspective and understanding of what it means grows. I research and consider all the materials I use, and they become a focus for conversations around circular economy and environmentalism. The way I design is to treat all materials equally and eliminate any waste.
Can you name a couple of your favourite pieces?
My Interchangeable Ring is a specimen holder for different stone circles that I cut and form to fit in the ring frame. Initially these stone circles were byproducts of my Geometric Geology Ring series.
The ring is part of my latest series, Geoanthropology, which brings together all parts of my creative practice. I wanted to see if I could chart the ways humans have made use of rocks since the Stone Age. I’ve used flints, faience (which is an early glass paste dating back to Egyptian times), stone cored from 9051 ft under the North Sea, and brick made from construction waste. It will be launched with Craft Scotland at this year's Collect (1-3 March). I’ll be giving a talk about it at the booth on Friday 1 March.
How do you select and source your materials?
I always use either Fairtrade or recycled metals, often re-melting materials supplied by my clients, since metal it is infinitely re-usable. I choose rocks for their aesthetic value but also the stories they have to tell. I source my found rock on walks or on beaches, documenting where they were collected to ensure traceability but also allow people to visit and explore further. For the fabricated rock, my processes include recreating historic ways of working stone such as terrazzo and scagliola which make the most of chips and dust.