Our New Guest Maker - Sharon McSwinney

Our Guest Maker for May and June is jeweller and metal worker Sharon McSwinney.

Sharon is a member of the Cornwall Crafts Association and has been designing and creating metalwork and jewellery since graduating in 1990. 

In 2013 she moved to St. Ives from Worcestershire and opened her own outlet in the Drill Hall and has since moved into a new gallery space on Island Square in the historic Downalong area.

Sharon finds working in different disciplines beneficial as one always feeds into the other, sometimes scaling up her jewellery to become wall pieces and vice versa. 

Texture, pattern and colour are her passions. Sharon is drawn to distressed surfaces and likes to explore different techniques, applying textures and patina to metal. There is an immediacy of working with metal, creating effects quickly on the surface with tools and heat. One distinct trademark is the combination of copper and brass for contrasting colour variations.

Sharon's most recent collection of jewellery is inspired by both Troika pottery and Barbara Hepworth sculptures. Sharon aims to create surfaces which reflect some of the incredible textures on these ceramics and sculptures. The pieces have a slight retro feel. 

Since living by the sea Sharon's work has developed a more aquatic theme with seaweed and sea creatures such as crabs, seahorses and sea anemones. 

Find out more about Sharon on her website