[Welcome] New Members for July 3, 2009

Please welcome our newest members!

Vicky Forrester
Flux studios
London, UK

Im a practicing jeweller with 23 years of experience in the
contemporary jewellery field. I have exhibited my work extensively
in the UK and abroad through various specialist galleries (Electrum,
Lesley Craze, Flow, ProArte Monaco and many more)

I have a BA Hons degree in Silversmithing and metalwork (Camberwell
College of Arts, London,UK 1987-1990), and a Post Graduate
Certficate in Education (GoldsmithsCollege, University of London, UK
1994)

Jewellery for me is an art form; I see jewellery as wearable
sculpture, a means to explore relationships and form, to ask
questions and present challenges, to soothe the senses or to awaken
them.

From concept to realisation, I like the element of problem solving
that jewellery making presents. For this reason I mainly produce
one-off pieces, and I also like to work to commission.

The making process requires focus; at every stage in the development
of a piece of jewellery, challenges arise and choices must be made.
The process requires a fluid approach, and every problem arising
equally presents opportunity. The final outcome charts this evolving
relationship between the idea, the choices made, the application of
process, and the behaviour of the material. With a successful piece
of jewellery these elements find accord.

Equally important to me in the making process is the notion of
intent. As we weave and forge and form our intentions into objects,
here we jewellers have the means to exercise alchemy.

To complement my working practice, for the last 13 years I have been
teaching jewellery making in a variety of contexts through workshops
and specialist short courses.

I am an ardent supporter of life long learning.

Having myself gained so much from the generous provision of adult
and community education in the 80s I am conscious of the enormous
benefit that this level of education provides. This provision seems
elemental to me in the interest of promoting a healthy, respectful
and balanced society.

Beyond the immediate value of learning new skills (and the
subsequent opportunity to enter full time study and employment),
adult and community education also provides opportunities for
personal growth that defy measure.