Amanda Notarianni designs and makes distinctive
contemporary glass. Using traditional glass making techniques she
creates unique hand blown sculptural forms. Amanda enhances her sleek
free blown pieces using skilful cold working processes such as
cutting, carving and polishing to create surface patterns and
textures, which hold light and magnify reflections.
Initially inspired by microscopic images of plankton,
her work is now evolutionary, with each piece informing the next.
“Molten glass is such a dynamic material to work with.
I really enjoy the challenge of working with a material that
continuously pushes me to develop skills and understanding.”
Amanda’s innovative ultra modern pieces are hand made
to commission with projects undertaken ranging from public art
commissions, to architectural lighting and one off sculptural vessels.
Amanda exhibits internationally and has pieces in both
private and public collections.
Achievements
Crafts
Council selected for Origin, Chelsea Crafts Fair and
Artisan.
Attended Masterclass at Northlands Creative Glass, Scotland
2005
Set up
Glass blowing studio with Charlie Macpherson
2003
Demonstrator Glass Symposium Leerdam in Holland
1998 - 2002
Set up
Cold working studio
2001
Scholarship for Creative Summit Conference
1999
Participant of International Glass Symposium, Novi Bor, Czech Republic
1997
Safety
Certificate in heat processes metal and wood working machinery
1992
Experience
Amanda
has been trading as Notarianni glass since 1998. Prior to this she
worked in various studios across the UK, gaining valuable experience
in both production and ‘one off’ artistic glass making environments.
Amanda also demonstrated glass making at The World of Glass, St Helens
during 2000 and the National Glass Centre, Sunderland 1998 - 1999.
Lecturing
Associate Lecturer in 3D design at Manchester Metropolitan University
2005 - 2007
Visiting Lecturer at Stoke University – Cold Processes
2001
Teaching fusing glass in secondary
schools 2000 - 2004
Running
and teaching adult fusing and Sand casting workshops
2001 - 2008
Qualifications
BA in
3D Design Glass and Ceramics 2:1 Hons Sunderland University
Karen Thomas is a jewellery designer and maker, originally from the
Midlands, who has been living and working in York for over fourteen years.
She graduated from the Birmingham School of Jewellery (UCE) in 1998 with a
BA(hons) degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing. She has worked in a busy
trade workshop and taught jewellery making at a local college and school,
while also producing her own designs. She now concentrates solely on
creating her beautiful, wearable ranges of jewellery, limited editions,
one off pieces and commissions. She uses traditional jewellery making
techniques; mainly working in silver, sometimes in gold. She sells her
work through galleries across Europe.
“I
love the process of creating functional, wearable pieces of jewellery, be
it constructing a mount for an unusual stone or handcrafting a master,
making a mould and running off waxes in order to generate cast units so I
can produce ranges of silver jewellery that are affordable.”
“My
designs are inspired by the world around me. Whilst studying in Birmingham
many of my pieces echoed the city’s industrial past. Now in North
Yorkshire I take inspiration from the landscape and its colours. I am
particularly drawn to the natural forms of the dramatic North East
coastline. This is clearly evident in my Silver Shell Collection which
comprises four ranges created with solid silver castings made using moulds
of actual shells. Also the chunky claw set Pebble Collection which
celebrates the natural beauty of the shapes and colours of the seashore.
In contrast, living in the beautiful, historic city of York has also had
an impact on my work, some of my designs reflecting the shapes and forms
seen in the magnificent architecture.”
Naomi was born and
educated in Sussex. She graduated in Jewellery at Middlesex
Polytechnic and then worked as an assistant technician at the Royal
College of Art. After two years as a self employed jeweller working at
Jess James, W1, she travelled in Thailand, Borneo, Indonesia, New
Zealand, Australia, India and Nepal. Since then she has worked as a
self employed jeweller, and was manager of the National Theatre Dazzle
exhibition in 2001 and 2002.
Naomi has worked in a variety of materials since she started making
jewellery at the age of 14. She has always designed as she works,
allowing the making process to inspire the final design. Most of the
pieces are made using simple hand tools and she enjoys the fact that a
lot of her jewellery can still be made in this way.
She has frequently used embossing in her work. Earlier designs
involved piercing patterns into stainless steel which was then rolled
with silver. Recent work began with picking up feathers in the park
with her young son – she found that despite their delicate appearance
they could be transformed into a solid form by embossing into silver.
She then experimented further with dried flowers, leaves and leaf
skeletons and found that an amazing amount of detail was picked up on
the silver, which she then complemented with touches of 18 carat gold.
Some designs include coloured semi-precious stones.
Other elements of her work have evolved through experimentation with
the textures that can be achieved with hammering metal. She uses a
variety of hammers to create surfaces and marks that alter the way
light is reflected. She likes the feeling that the metal appears to
have been aged by beating it with a rusty hammer – like something that
may have been dug up.
Never
to fade, never to be replicated, each hand-made individually designed
piece holds its own unique beauty. Hand-made designer jewellery is
shaped from anodised aluminium with fittings handcrafted from sterling
silver. High quality materials are used in my vibrant designer
jewellery and very wearable jewellery accessories.
Trained in fine
art painting, by hand I work colour into highly polished pieces of
jewellery. My designer jewellery is recognised as dynamic wearable
art. Aluminium is anodised to accept dyes and is hand-shaped into very
fashionable bangles, bracelets and pendants.
Focused on fine art rather than the applied arts, as a painter I use
my sense and sensibilities avoiding pattern. My design is in shaping
this creativity into subtle curves.
I
do hope that you enjoy wearing my very wearable art available in more
than 100 outlets and on line.
Julia studied
Jewellery and Silversmithing (BA Hons) at Loughborough College of Art
in the early 1980s before setting up her workshop in York where she
later became proprietor of Pyramid.
She was then lured
over the Pennines, married and set up her workshop on the Wirral.
Coastal walks with
the backdrop of the distant Welsh hills never cease to inspire and
influence Julia’s silverwork.
1984 BA(Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing, Loughborough College of
Art and Design
1984 - 1989 Workshop in York, trading as Julia Parker Jewellery
1986 - 1989 Proprietor of Pyramid Contemporary Design gallery, York
1989 - 1993 Opened workshop on the Wirral
2003 - 2005 City and Guilds Embroidery
2007 Re-established workshop on Wirral
Outlets
Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool
Counter Culture, Chester
Northern Lights, Keswick
Primavera, Cambridge
Exhibitions
2009 The Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn
2009 Dee Fine Arts, Heswall
2010 Staacks, West Kirby
2011 Pyramid, York
Memberships
MJMAN Merseyside Jewellers and Metal Artists Network
Sarah Packington designs
and makes striking modern acrylic and silver jewellery in her Brighton
workshop. Her current collection includes earrings, bangles, necklaces
and cufflinks
These images show Valerie's
latest collection, 'Wave' silver with gold detailing
VALERIE MEAD
Valerie Mead designs and makes elegant and
wearable contemporary jewellery in silver and gold. New pieces are
added each year to a collection of finely textured silver jewellery
which features tiny details in rose gold. This collection is available
direct from her workshop or via craft galleries and exhibitions
throughout the UK.
Individually commissioned pieces are designed and made in gold or
silver for special occasions; eg. wedding, engagement and partnership
rings, birthday and anniversary presents etc. Customers’ own ideas can
be incorporated into the design.
Inspiration for these
clean cut designs often comes from observations of architectural and
man-made items. Simplicity of line is the aim.
Valerie trained at Sheffield Polytechnic
School of Art and Design, followed by a Goldsmiths’ Company Graduate
Apprenticeship and a Residency at South Hill Park Arts Centre in
Berkshire. She works from her own studio in Oxford. Visitors are
welcome by appointment.
Educated at Taunton
School, then Somerset College of Design and Technology and West Surrey
College of Art and Design, BA Hons. 3D Glass
Currently: Tutor, Bucks College of Higher Education
Consultant for Oxfam in Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador
Masterclass Tutor at Biennale Glass Festival
Consultant for Fair Trade Organisation and Tradecraft in Bolivia
Shakspeare Glass was set up in 1988 and moved to the current premises
in Taunton in 1991.
" I make a wide range of different designs which are constantly
evolving. I deliberately design glass with a random factor, an aspect
that is beyond my control. I try and use colour so that it affects the
final shape of the piece in a natural and fluid way. In doing this I
have to work with the glass rather than completely imposing my own
constrictions.
I have many influences. Rock pools and water are constant factors in
the Tableaux pieces. The glorious rich blues and greens of the
Pembrokeshire shoreline and the silky pinks and golds of the
Mediterranean Islands inspire the Nougat range, a tiny spider's nest -
a collection of perfume bottles named Sputnik, and the textiles of
South America - the Agate and Opal ranges.
'Blue Stone' oil on canvas in Isabel's studio
£350
'Frozen in Time,' 70 x 35 cm oil on canvas, £240
'Flame ' 29 x 40 cm £95
'Full Fathom Five' oil on canvas
'Red Diamond' oil on canvas
'Red and Gold' oil on canvas
'untitled at time of press - but something
related to Water, we think' Oil on Canvas
DAVID
BAUMFORTH
David Baumforth is an internationally respected painter. His
paintings are for enjoyment. He paints the things and places he
loves - the North Yorkshire coast, it's hinterland, and Andalucia -
always striving to paint the truth. He believes that work must have
intellect and be carried out with as much skill as possible, but in
the end it is the viewer that must judge. He was born in York, and
is self-taught. His work has been shown in many exhibitions and
galleries in the UK and Europe.
"Anyone who has an eye for art, the deep passionate colour of
Turner, the pure loving observations of Constable must rejoice that
our century has David Baumforth. This work is ‘The real thing’, wet
with sea spray we can feel, fresh with gust of wind, always
mysterious, always beautiful: art to be cherished”. - Sister Wendy
Beckett, Art Historian and Broadcaster
"Baumforth makes no claims for his work. Like many honest artists of
skill and belief he just gets down to it and paints the places he
loves to the best of his ability knowing that, in the end, the work
must speak for itself. Uncomplicated and deeply moving"
David Lee, Editor of the Jackdaw, Art Critic and Broadcaster
Alison Varley uses a traditional 'forging'
techniques to make individual and unique works of art in silver and
gold. We like these at Pyramid Gallery because there is no way to
reproduce these except at the hands of a time served artisan. The
process is physically demanding and requires artistic talent as well
as knowledge about the materials used.
