Merry-Go-Round

It''s time for another ride on the merry-go-round! Jump on and join a group of 9 artists/crafts-women as they link around the world and tell you a little about their lives in art and craft.

This month's question that we will answer is:
How much, if at all, does your geographical location affect your art/craft?

Quite a lot, especially on a practical level.
I started making silver jewellery a few years ago when I was still living in the UK. I went to a silversmithing evening class, and thought nothing of working with silver as all the material and tools I needed were readily available.
Our relocation to Turkey changed all that. Silver is of course available here too, but not in so many forms, the sheets of silver I could find only had one thickness and wires are not all packed in different gauges and softness/hardness. You had to be a fully-fledged silversmith to work with silver in this country, not play at it like I was… it was difficult and very frustrating, and after a few months’ battle, I gave up. No jewellery for a year…

Then I discovered wire-wrapping and was hooked instantly. I played around with the silver wire I had left over, but I knew I had to look for an alternative if I wanted to continue. Luckily I found a local stone supplier who stocked artistic wires, it took a while but finally the adventure started :)

On an ‘inspiration’ level, Turkey is a beautiful country, with a rich history, stunning landscapes, and amazing beaches, where people are friendly and life is simple. My priorities have changed tremendously since living here, and of course my surroundings play an important part in inspiring jewelry pieces, but it is more the relocating and adapting to a totally new life that has the biggest impact on what I create.
I used to want to shock, but now I just do what feels right, because life’s too short.



Don't forget to visit the rest of the Merries, you'll find direct links in the sidebar. Happy reading and thanks for looking!