Making Jewellery - August 2016

38 makingjewellery.com

FEATURE

When did your interest

in jewellery first start?

I fi rst started working

with silver clay almost

ten years ago, when it

was a relatively new

medium. As the price

of silver increased I

worked in ceramics

for a while, making

jewellery and small accessories such as buttons

and trinket dishes. The cost of silver clay is still

quite high, but with the availability of diff erent

metal clays, such as copper and bronze, I now

work solely in this medium.

Do you have any formal training? If so,

where did you train?

No, I am self taught. I like to try things out for

myself. I have used the library for books and

online tutorials are very helpful. I do believe

that doing techniques a certain way wouldn’t

work for everyone. It’s important to fi nd out

what works for you to achieve the best results.

Where is your studio?

I have a home studio in Broadstairs, a beautiful

little seaside town on the Kent coast. It is a

converted larder and is very small! Space is

limited, but there is room for all my tools and

to sit and work. It gets very cosy with the kiln

on. I utilise the kitchen table when I have lots

of work and spread to other parts of the house

when I have a big event coming up!

Where do you find inspiration and how do you

decide what to make next?

I take my inspiration from nature. From the

beautiful beaches and coastline where I live, to

my garden, parks and nearby woodland.

I also use items you fi nd in your kitchen, such

as nuts, seeds and pulses. There are so many

interesting patterns and textures all around us,

it fascinates me.

Unless I am working on orders or

commissions, I don’t tend to plan what I make.

I use what I have to hand in terms of freshly

collected items, for example shells and leaves.

My neighbour has just returned from a trip

to Iceland and brought me back some small

nuggets of volcanic rock. I am looking forward

to using these in my designs.

What is your preferred medium?

There are a number of metal clays available. It is

a good idea to try them to fi nd your preference.

I work with Art Clay Silver, PMC Sterling,

Copprclay and Bronzclay. Each clay may have

a unique fi ring schedule. There are some clays

that can be torch fi red, whilst others need kiln

fi ring. I always kiln fi re all my jewellery pieces.

Do you have a favourite tool?

Yes, my needle tool. It is such a simple but

versatile tool. I use it for making holes in wet clay,

for pushing through pieces of carbon or steel shot

that may get stuck in holes and recesses,

and enlarging tiny chain ends for jumprings.

Which techniques do you enjoy using?

I love making rings, and building up the

structure and shape by hand with tiny pieces

of clay, from delicate, simple twig rings to more

elaborate rings with big focals and maybe a

pearl or stone. I am also experimenting with

enamels. I would like to introduce some colour

to my work. I have been exploring an ocean and

woodland colour palette.

SARA BROWN OF SARAMICA

10 QUESTIONS

Do you offer workshops or classes?

Due to my lack of space I don’t off er workshops.

If you are looking to take a class in metal clay,

I would recommend starting with silver. There

are many courses available – do your research

to fi nd one that meets your requirements.

What are your goals?

My goals are to continue to make jewellery

that people love to wear. Quite often I will sell

a piece because it evokes a memory, or has a

special meaning to the customer or recipient.

This is the best feeling.

What’s your favourite thing that you’ve

ever made?

We recently lost a very dear family member.

I made silver pendants for close female

relatives with carefully chosen leaves from our

respective memorial fl owers. Each pendant is

truly unique and conveys huge amounts of love

and emotion. A very precious piece of jewellery.

CONTACT DETAILS

saramica.co.uk

[email protected]

Folksy: Saramica Sara

Facebook: Saramica

MJ96_P38-39_10 Questions SHSF.indd 38 01/07/2016 10:38