Meet The Maker – Colette Halstead

Colette Halstead – Glass artist

Colette is a glass artist based in Lancashire who enjoys working mainly with kiln fused glass but she does also use stained glass techniques.

Colette Halstead Glass – Landscape Dish

Colette’s artistic background is as varied and colourful as Blackpool, the town she was born in. She trained professionally as a fine art printmaker and on returning to her home town she worked for fifteen years as one of three artists at ‘Blackpool Illuminations’. She was the only female in a team of forty skilled workers and as artists they we were responsible for translating the designers’ ideas into the brightly lit six mile display.

Colette Halstead Glass – Seedhead Dish

 Her desire to work with glass started with a leaded light course in 2003. Glass captivates Colette like no other material; its translucency combined with the muted colours she uses, create beautiful lighting effects. She uses recycled and reclaimed window glass in her work and whilst temperamental it has a particular uniqueness of its own. Old window glass previously used to view landscapes through now hold another landscape between the layers. 

Colette Halstead Glass – Landscape coaster set

Colette’s work is always a response to the surroundings and situations that she’s in. She developed her work taking inspiration from both urban and natural landscapes, big skies and open spaces. Leaves taken from the landscape gift her work with the beauty of their organic shapes as she fuses them into the glass to create a simple composition of a tree.

Colette Halstead Glass – Hawthorn Landscape Wall piece

Inspired by nature, Colette’s unique leaf and landscape series capture the essence of the British countryside. Hedgerow and riverbank greenery from the landscapes are introduced into each piece and mark their organic silhouettes in the glass, capturing permanent memories of their once leafy existence.

Colette Halstead Glass – Landscape DIsh with Mill

Above all Colette creates pieces that she hopes give a joy and happiness to those who hold them.

Colette Halstead Glass – Hedge Parsley Rectangular Dish

Meet The Maker – Belinda Norrington

Belinda Norrington – jeweller

Belinda is a contemporary jewellery designer-maker, working in precious metals and gemstones. Her jewellery making is primarily an exploration of the beautiful minutiae of textures and forms found in the natural landscape.

Botanical images ready to turn into beautiful jewellery

Belinda is constantly inspired by the wealth of botanical material in the ‘wild acre’ of land around her home – in the garden, riverbank, hedgerow, field margin or wetland nature reserve. The unspoiled coast of north Norfolk, where she spent her childhood holidays and still spends much time, is another rich source of natural inspiration.

Silver leaf pendant

Sketching, photography, flower-pressing and wax carving are all used in the initial design process.

 

Silver leaf earrings

Belinda also seeks to respect the natural world that so inspires her. Her studio practice is as environmentally-friendly as possible, finding non-toxic alternatives for traditionally used chemicals, offering 100% recycled sterling silver and 18ct gold, fairtrade gemstones and using bio-degradable, mainly recycled products for all packaging and promotional material.

Silver pendant on thong

Belinda’s jewellery is understated and tactile, and it is the elements of texture and balance that are the basis of this signature style.

Silver pendant, fresh water pearls and beads on thong

Heart Gallery is proud to be showcasing Belinda’s new range for us, especially as it is hallmarked 100% recycled sterling silver.

Silver earrings

Meet The Maker – Katherine Lawrie

Katherine Lawrie - jeweller

From an early age Katherine has been familiar with the techniques involved in making jewellery and working with metal. Her father works as a jewellery designer maker and often Katherine would work alongside him in his workshop.

Silver textured heart studs

Silver textured heart drops on long wires

By the age of 16 her jewellery making became a serious hobby and Katherine sold jewellery to her friends for pocket money. She won young Craftsman of the Year in the early 1990s, which made her take her talents more seriously.

Silver textured leaf necklace with fresh water pearl

Katherine went to the Surrey Institute of Art and Design and then on to Edinburgh College of Art and in 1999 Katherine set out as a professional jewellery designer maker.

Personalised silver bracelet on fresh water pearls

Katherine’s jewellery, handmade in sterling silver and gold, is inspired by natural forms and textural qualities.She uses various techniques to create her jewellery. The predominant one is roller texturing, an unpredictable technique which involves the use of steel rolling mills and natural and manmade materials, such as feathers, leaves, lace and petals. The object disintegrates but leaves the surface of the metal with a rich ethereal texture.

Silver textured heart necklace on fresh water pearls

Using this technique involves a lot of happy accidents, but that is what keeps it fresh, and inspiring. The jewellery can be very evocative, the pressing of a special leaf from a place visited once, or grandma’s lace.

Silver textured heart necklace

She uses this in conjunction with semi-precious and precious stones and beads to create a body of work with sensitivity and subtlety which works in sympathy with the wearer. 

Personalised silver bracelet with fresh water pearls

Katherine sells her work through various outlets and off exhibitions and she is also an associate member of the Society of Botanical Artists, which has an annual exhibition at Central Hall in London. She regularly takes part in Open house exhibitions in Brighton and Heart Gallery is proud that Katherine has chosen Heart Gallery as a more northern stockist for her new range.