Seam of Silver
Many of Helene’s designs are inspired by nature, showing us the ethereally delicate and the brutally strong, often side by side. In her work the influence of both extremes is clear. Beautiful, natural shapes, colours and textures combine with the strength of metals and enamels.
Current collections in silver include:
Collections
Natural Forms: these pieces are inspired by the environment of the Dales, some are silver leaves, some are twisted spirals painted inside with transparent enamels, reminiscent of shell shards which can be found on on the moorland of North Yorkshire.
Photographs by Jan Lever
Wild: these pieces are started with ink drawings of local flowers, seed heads and grasses. Pieces of brass are then covered with a thick varnish and the image is transferred onto the brass, scraping off the outline. The brass is then inserted into acid for the picture to etch and then the brass is used as a 'negative' to roll against a piece of silver to creat a positive image. Often this is enhanced by oxidisation in liver of sulphur and the excess polished off.
Wall Series I and II. These are the designer's response to the tracks of drystone walls tracing across the fields in North Yorkshire. Series I are etched, oxidised and polished to show stone shapes and Series II are enamelled with colours and patterns inspired by the flowers plants and mosses that grow in the walls.
Damask was a collection started in 2013 for which the designs developed for wallpaper and fabric and called damask were used as a starting point to develop the metal into fantastical flowers, leaves and seeds.
All other photographs by the artist
Seam of Silver is a business run by designer-maker Helene Shovlar.
Other collections have included:
photographs by the artist
photograph by Jan Lever
Noughts and Crosses is the latest collection, started in autumn 2015 and features more fully on the next page.