alison jackson : studio

the start of new work

2012-04-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

starting with ingots

Annealing - looks a lot like turkish delight here!

Planishing the surface before making it into thinner sheet

The very beginning stages of a new body of work. It will mostly be larger hollowware pieces like bowls, vases and other vessels. Believe it or not, these 1kg ingots will soon be thin 1.2mm sheet ready for forming.

progress

2012-04-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Packaging galore! Oh, but whatever for?

Ah, soon it shall all be revealed!

2012-04-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a designer.
This was too good not to share.
[via yellowtrace]

Once more with love

2012-04-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

In late 2010, the founders of 'Ethical Metalsmiths' visited Melbourne and inspired some
local activity. After a local Radical Jewellery Makeover was held with young contemporary
jewellers, the question of what to do with the remaining donations was solved by
the exciting resolution to send these materials to a dynamic group of contemporary
jewellers as 'mystery bags', to be recreated subjectively. Using this challenge as vehicle
for awareness raising, contemporary jewellers are bringing ethical production into the
everyday making context....

Eat:Drink:Share at CraftACT

2011-11-22T04:47:00.000-08:00

CraftACT: Craft and Design Centre are holding their annual Christmas event.
This event will have a twist on the traditional Christmas events of the past which will feature high end tableware laid out in a dinner party arrangement, as well as lights and furniture to signify the celebratory Christmas dinner atmosphere. New textiles, jewellery and gift ideas will adorn the Shop and entice shoppers for the Christmas season.

I will have a range of my sterling silver condiments spoons on display and for sale.

Opening Thursday 24th November at 6pm
CraftACT: Craft and Design Centre

Level 1 North Building

180 London Cct Canberra

Undercurrent Design Market

2011-11-22T04:44:00.000-08:00

The Portrait Gallery Store presents Undercurrent - over 40 exhibitors showcasing an array of original, fresh and contemporary design across all mediums and work practices - from ceramics, jewellery, textiles to design co-ops. Ideally timed four weeks before Christmas and coinciding with Last (last) Friday Drinks!

Friday 25th November 5pm - 9pm

Saturday 26th November 10am - 4pm

See you there!

Bilk Gallery: All I want is...

2011-11-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

Celebrating one year since moving into their new gallery space in Manuka, Bilk Gallery's annual Christmas show titled All I want is.. opens this Friday at 6pm.

My new range Take Flight will be on show!

Also featuring new work from Mark Vaarwerk, Dore Stockhausen, Tanja Taglietti, Michelle Taylor, Mio Kuhnen, Sophie Emmett, Helen Aitken-Kuhen, Johannes Kuhnen, Alice Potter, Cinnamon Lee, Ximena Briceno and Tom Rowney.

Opening Friday November 18th at 6pm

Until 24 December at 4pm

Online shop updated

2011-10-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

Head on over... my online shop has been updated with lots of new things! Have a look here

Handmade Mega Market

2011-09-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

Handmade Mega Market is on this weekend!

Saturday & Sunday 10am - 4pm
National Convention Centre, Canberra

I will be showing my newly finished snowdrop range.
Featuring a range of unique necklaces and earrings, each piece has been individually handmade in sterling silver. With no two pieces the same, they make a beautiful unique gift.


Snowdrop earrings

commission

2011-09-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

A lovely friend of mine recently commissioned me to make a set of four necklaces - one for each of her sisters, her mum and herself.

Creative space

2011-09-01T04:36:00.000-07:00


My bench

The best part... Yep, that's the view looking out from my studio

new work

2011-08-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

Building Block rings, 2011
925 silver

odd jobs

2011-08-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

Quite conveniently there is a take away shop that sits directly above my studio...
I recently finished a custom coffee stencil for them. It's a little left field of what I usually work on, but keeps things interesting!

testing...

...and it works!

studio progress

2011-08-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

Playing around with ideas for new work for an upcoming award/competition

makers marks

2011-07-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

Melbourne Jeweller has started up a page on her blog to showcase Australian and New Zealand makers marks! What a great idea!

Head on over here for the details...

Hammer time!

2011-07-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a Japanese carpenters hammer, well actually not really that recent at all. In fact, I was beginning to think this little parcel had vanished somewhere between Japan and Australia...
Thankfully, it arrived all in one piece. The hammer head also came with a handle 'blank' ready to carve and sculpt into just the right shape for my hand.
I've got a soft spot for interesting hammers, this one will sit nicely on my hammer rack. It's sure to have more friends soon!

Here it is - my new hammer (handle yet to be finished)

Art Jewellery Forum - Emerging Artist Award

2011-07-15T03:09:00.000-07:00

The Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) is an American membership based, non-profit organisation created to advocate for the field of contemporary art jewelry.

Each year they run a competition for emerging artists to encourage and promote their new work. Whilst last years entries aren't up on the website many previous years are. It's worth a look - some very interesting and some pretty out there work too!

The winning artist will give a brief presentation at SOFA New York and featured prominently by a AJF member gallery.

They are calling for entries for this year's award. Submissions are due September 30th. Time to get making!

New tools, new tools, new tools!

2011-07-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

I've been hanging out for this package to arrive!! I don't think I've ever been quite so excited to pick up a rather large cardboard box from the post office (they went a little nuts with packing - but hey, better safe than scrambled and broken)!

First up. A Swanston Disc Cutter!

I finally decided to invest in a decent disc cutter. It's a US made one and it works beautifully. It even has a lovely clamping mechanism to hold the sheet in position when you're punching!
I've had some cheapy options before and whilst they work, for a while, they are by no means as slick as this one. Definitely a case of you get what you pay for.
Nothing quite as satifisying as the little 'tink' noise as the metal sheet is punched!

Swanston disc cutter

And I have also bought myself a Knew Concept piercing saw. I first read about these new piercing saws over on Melbourne jeweller, Melissa Cameron's blog. Now if you've seen her work, you will see she is one fantastic saw piercer and if she recommends it, it must be great!

Ready for action!

This will hopefully make my saw piercing chores a little easier!

Currently showing...

2011-06-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

The 11th Contemporary Australian Silver and Metalwork Award Exhibition opened last Sunday (June 5th) and whilst I couldn't make the trip to Castlemaine I've seen some great blog posts from those who could. Melissa Cameron and Mel Miller both have great wrap ups of the exhibiton and winners (plus some pics of the opening!)

Thanks to Pat and Lauretta at Buda for all the organisation and co-ordination - a great show!
My hollowware piece showing in the exhibition is Bobby.

The exhibition runs until June 19
A beautiful catalogue is avaliable to order, contact Buda for details.

e-news!

2011-05-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

My very first newsletter packed full of all sorts of exciting things is hitting inboxes soon!
If you'd like to sign up... just scroll down a little and cast your eyes over to the right hand side of this page and fill in the Join Our Mailing List box and follow the prompts!
Easy peezy!

Press: GZ Magazine Germany

2011-05-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

A bit of promo before Inhorgenta. The Forum Silversmith stand got a couple of pages in the German GZ Magazine!

GZ Magazine, Issue: January 2011

www.gz-online.de

a little bit more of Germany

2011-05-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

A few more highlights from my trip to Germany...

The British Silver Week were exhibiting a huge range of work from 20 British silversmiths. It is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of Contemporary British Silversmiths both within the UK and abroad. They kicked off the 2011 program at Inhorgenta and were lovely stand neighbours who had so much useful information to share!

Gordon from the British Silver Week selling up a storm!

After leaving the trade fair and Munich behind I headed to northern Germany... Berlin, Hannover, Lübeck and Bremen. I met silversmith Maike Dahl in Hannover and spent an amazing day tinkering and chatting... and eating some delicious home cooked food!

Maike's studio - such a great working space!

I then headed to the quaint town Lübeck where I met another silversmith, Beate Leonards. Being away from my own studio for five weeks was a bit strange and the chance to see the ways other silversmiths work and their studios was very inspiring!

Holstentor (the city gate) in Lübeck

Beate's wonderfully organised studio space!

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek and tour of one of the last operating silver factories in Germany. Koch & Bergfeld has recently moved into a new space on the river in Bremen. It is large open plan workshop equipped with an enormous array of tools and machinery and has master silversmiths and their apprentices still working away on finishing individual pieces.

Look at all those spinning mandrels!

Let's go backwards to go forwards...

2011-05-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

As this little blog is pretty well brand new, I have missed posting about an exciting adventure earlier in the year!

Wayyy back in September I was invited as one of twelve international silversmiths to exhibit at Inhorgenta 2011 at the special stand Forum Silversmiths - very exciting!

And so after some mad making time over the New Year I packed my bags and headed for Munich in February…

Inhorgenta is the largest international Trade Fair for Jewellery, Watches, Design, Gemstones and Technology.. and it certainly didn’t disappoint. SIX exhibition halls full of everything you could imagine related to jewellery – from precious stones and tools to multi-national companies and university stands – they had it all! It was absolutely incredible!

Here are some pics of the stand I was part of…

There was a great mix of silversmiths including Olivia Lowe (UK), Koichi IO (KOR), Marit Bindernagel (DE), Corinna Loelgen (DE), Sabine Zimmermann (DE), Thalen & Thalen (BEL), Helena Schepens (BEL).

I also had some pieces in an exhibition Table Culture within the trade fair (and right next to the Forum Silversmith stand). It was beautifully set up and decorated by Sigrun Hohl with delicate porcelain pieces from Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg. That's my little silver Sake Set on show below!

Bowerbird Bazaar Design Market - Adelaide

2011-05-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

Held in the beautiful Queen's Theatre, Adelaide, Bowerbird Bazaar was a fantastic three day design market with plenty of eating, drinking, shopping!