About me

Having spent years exploring different avenues of artistic disciplines, I have returned to my first love – textiles and now discovered a new one – Silver Clay jewellery.

Beginning with an art foundation year at Middlesex Polytechnic followed by a journey south to Camberwell School of Art to complete a BA hons in Ceramics in the early 1980s, I then went on to spend a number of years exhibiting mixed media collage drawings incorporating monotypes and handpainted fabrics for interiors and accessories in London. However, my journey really started when the family moved to Swanage on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset in 2000. I took the opportunity of returning to ceramics and spent several years building up a clay studio in Corfe Castle producing animal sculptures and handbuilt vessels to sell locally in Dorset. I also helped set up the Boilerhouse Gallery there.

When I had to relinquish the studio in 2004 it gave me the impetus to concentrate again on fabric and textiles. After attending an inspiring feltmaking workshop I began to use felt to draw on with natural fibres and threads, transferring the sketches I made of seabirds and fish on to natural handmade or heavyweight industrial merino felt.

Using Silver Clay to make jewellery is just another extension of the modelling skills utilised in my ceramics. Silver Clay is 99.9% pure silver with 0.1% binder in clay form and is incredibly flexible in the ways it can be used.

Along with all this there is always a patchwork quilt on the go or a knitting project for someone.

So many birds, fish and chickens and so little time ...

Alison Brown