Creativity needs to be fed. No designer or artist finds inspiration solely from the four walls of their studio or workshop. We don’t need to go far, inspiration can come from a walk on the beach, or a visit to a gallery. We also need to refresh our skills occasionally, whether that’s a new piece of computer software or discovering an ancient method of jewellery-making that suits our needs perfectly.
Which brings us here to Melbourne. We have come to learn the skill of sand-casting from the lovely, accomplished Kirra of kirraleajewellery.com
We might have managed to teach ourselves this skill, with a bit of online research, a lot of swearing, and a little less fun. Sometimes, however, it is worth asking for help from those who have already perfected the art.
Sand-casting enables us to achieve the specific texture and finish we are looking for, for our Erosion Collection coming later this year. We can also manipulate the design of each piece during the process, which is very helpful as each of our pieces are unique. Another benefit with this method is that we see results very quickly, enabling us to tweak a design and try again, straight away.
So we came, we learned, we are inspired. Kirra-Lea is patient and calm. It’s easy to run away with yourself when creating jewellery, so it's wonderful to have Kirra-Lea there reminding us gently of that crucial step in the process we have forgotten, and suggesting solutions to problems we face.
We are a long way from completing the new collection, and there's the small detail of seaglass cracking under any heat, but it's exciting to see the potential and evolve the ideas as we work. Watch this space.
