Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Jewellery Designer Kate Sibley, talking about her ‘Future Jewellery’ Collection

Kate Sibley Jewellery by Laura Griffin
Kate Sibley Jewellery by Laura Griffin

When I first looked at images of Kate Sibley’s stone ‘paper’ Future Jewellery I was reminded of a gorgeous book I fell in love with a few years ago called ‘The Paper Jewelry Collection: Easy to wear and ready to make pop out artwear’. It features beautiful patterns printed on variously shaped paper which you can remove from the book and fold in different ways to create eye catching jewellery pieces. I still have this book and, like Kate Sibley’s jewellery, find it hugely inspiring. Both push boundaries in terms of what form jewellery pieces can have and what materials they are made of – the latter being especially crucial at the moment in terms of sustainability. The limited edition pieces by Kate Sibley are transitory and deliberately have a short lifespan, agreeing with the fast fashion trend. Yet the jewellery, made from non-toxic stone ‘paper’, can be infinitely recycled or safely composted at the end of its life, leaving no negative imprint on the environment. Here Kate Sibley shares with us a little about the context, inspirations and processes behind her origami-like jewellery collection.

Kate Sibley Jewellery Necklaces group

You started out as a graphic designer, how did you become interested in jewellery design specifically and decide to do an MA at Central Saint Martins?
My undergraduate degree was in eco design and design studies at Goldsmiths College where my final piece was in fact a jewellery collection. The graphics route was purely by chance and a result of the experience I gained on work placements while still at university. It became a logical career path upon graduation as it gave me the opportunity to make money as a practicing designer. After several years of full time employment I took the step to become a freelance graphic designer which enabled me to focus more on other creative interests including my jewellery. I then applied to continue my studies at Central St Martins as it would provide me with a network of mentors and place me in a stimulating environment to further develop my ideas.

Kate Sibley Necklace
Kate Sibley Necklace
How does your graphic design background influence your jewellery collections?
My decision to work with paper for my latest collection was born out of my desire to question the fast fashion industry and explore sustainable materials and systems. After a year of intensive materials research the logical path took me to the stone paper I use today. Having a deep knowledge of graphics and print enabled me to really explore a unique approach to my jewellery where I had very few restrictions. I could explore, colour, tone, pattern and form in a way that you can’t with traditional jewellery making processes. It also had its problems as it makes it incredibly hard to make decisions when your options are endless so you need to be confident in your ideas and follow them through with conviction.

Kate Sibley Jewellery by Isher Dhiman
Kate Sibley Jewellery by Isher Dhiman

Could you tell us a bit more about the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ theory and closed loop systems and the influence they’ve had on your work?
The term Cradle to Cradle refers to a designed system where commercial productivity and sustainability can co-exist and benefit one another. This is achieved by ensuring that products and materials are designed to fit onto a biological and/or a technical system – closed loop. A biological system refers to materials that can harmlessly decompose and return to the earth providing nourishment rather than toxic landfill, whereas a technical system is one based on materials being reprocessed repeatedly without degradation or any loss in quality. Cradle to Cradle has influenced my work greatly. What I like is that it provides a rational and practical solution to a sustainable future whilst celebrating abundance and creativity. Rather than the consumer being half-heartedly encouraged to change their consumer behavior, the ball is firmly in the court of designers and manufacturers to design better products. It is a challenge, but designers like myself thrive on creative challenges.
My current collection is designed with materials that fit within both a biological and a technical cycle.

Kate Sibley Pin
Where do you source the paper from which your current collection is made?
I source the paper from a supplier in Europe as it is not available in the UK.

v
Kate Sibley Jewellery by Polly Stopforth

Where did you learn to fold so beautifully and by what process do you apply the eye catching patterns and colours on the pieces?
Strangely I’ve always had a fascination with folding paper. I think it’s something to do with pushing a material to its limits and really exploring it’s potential. The techniques and folds I’ve used to produce this collection have all been developed by myself as a way to overcome design issues and to form the shapes and structures I wanted. The colour and patterns are screen printed by myself.

Kate Sibley Necklace
You are the co-director of the design studio Sibley Grove with your husband Jeremy Grove. How do the other design disciplines the studio is involved in impact your jewellery work? Is working with diverse worlds helping your creative juices?
Running the design studio alongside developing my jewellery collections is hard work, but I enjoy it as I thrive on being busy and productive. We work across several disciplines, interior design, architecture, graphics and product, and I find all of these areas inspire my jewellery because they expose me to materials and processes I might not otherwise come across. The jewellery also positively influences the rest of the work our studio does, because it is a platform to be more experimental and try new things, but on a smaller scale.

Kate Sibley Future Jewellery Necklace by Shy Illustrations
Kate Sibley Future Jewellery Necklace by Shy Illustrations

In terms of fashion and jewellery design what are your inspirations?
My inspirations for this collection have mainly come from the art deco architecture of downtown Manhattan, where I am particularly attracted to the repeat patterns that are made with tiling, patterns cast into building facades and the forms made by railings and ironwork. In general though, my inspirations can come from anywhere, from the detailing on a train seat, to the beauty of an insects wing.

Kate Sibley Earrings
Kate Sibley Earrings
Kate Sibley Earrings
For your near future collections do you plan to explore more folding techniques and continue the use of ‘paper’ or can you reveal some more sustainable materials you have in mind using?
This collection of earrings will evolve into other shapes and colours, which will be released each fashion season, but all future pieces will fit into the universal earring clasp. I am interested in exploring other ways of printing on and texturing the surface of the paper material, and feel there is great potential to explore this further. I intend for the collection to grow and to release necklaces, bangles and brooches in the future. I am always researching new and interesting materials and have a growing collection which I will certainly experiment with in the future.

Kate Sibley Jewellery by Katie Allen
Kate Sibley Jewellery by Katie Allen

How could one become the owner of one of your beautiful pieces?
At the moment I am accepting commissions to produce bespoke pieces of any scale. This specific collection will be launched for sale in the new year and you will be able to buy pieces through a number of galleries and shops. You can contact us through our website www.sibleygrove.com, or at studio@sibleygrove.com to be added to our mailing list for further updates, or to talk about commissioning possibilities.

Categories ,Central Saint Martins, ,colour, ,Cradle to Cradle, ,Designer’s Block, ,Earrings, ,Eco-Design, ,fashion, ,Fast Fashion, ,Folding, ,geometric, ,Gold Leaf, ,goldsmiths, ,Graphic Design, ,Isher Dhiman, ,jewellery, ,Jewellery Collection, ,Kate Sibley, ,Katie Allen, ,Laura Griffin, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Necklaces, ,origami, ,paper, ,pattern, ,Polly Stopforth, ,Printing, ,screenprinting, ,Shy Illustrations, ,Sibley Grove, ,Stone Paper, ,Sustainable Fashion, ,Sustainable Materilas

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Grande Dame: Special Guest Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Grande_Dame_Saint_AgathaAmelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Grande_Dame_Saint_Agatha
Tiff McGinnis, aka Grande Dame, is a highly collectible multi-disciplinary artist who is currently hosting My Voodoo On You, a spectacular solo show at the Ink_D gallery in Brighton. I have been working with Tiff since issue one of Amelia’s Magazine 10 years ago so I am really happy to announce that she has donated a one off silk screen print, featuring loads of 24 carat gold leaf and hand coloured with flouro acrylic paint. Saint Agatha is the Patron Saint of Breast Cancer Patients, Rape Survivors, Bell Ringers, Bakers, Jewellers, Martyrs, Wet Nurses, Fire and Volcanic Eruptions, and is depicted carrying her breasts on a tray because they were cut off when she refused the advances of a high ranking magistrate. Tiff was drawn to this subject because “I went to Catholic school for 12 years and have always been intrigued by religious iconography. Later my mother introduced me to Saint prayers, which are really a kind of personal voodoo for when you want or need something… Although I am not religious, I believe in the power of concentration and visualisation.

Grande Dame_My Voodoo On You portrait
What in particular drew you to Saint Agatha as the subject of your artwork?
I have been fascinated with Saints for sometime now. I went to Catholic school for 12 years, but other than St Francis of Assisi, we didn’t learn about them really. A few years ago my mom turned me on to the power of Saints through prayer. I don’t believe in God and absolutely detest organised religion. But we have this kind of game really. Say you want something, like when I was waiting to hear about my flat. We looked up who the Patron Saint of Home was. It was Saint Joseph. So for 3 weeks, or until I heard back from the landlord, I just chanted his name over and over and concentrated on the flat until I got it. I think my mom does Hail Marys, or some other prayer, but I just repeat their name and focus on what it is I want. I did it the other day when I heard a friend was ill and found the saint for her illness, repeated their name and by the end of the day she was better! Is it coincidence? Or is it power of concentration or positive thought or cosmic ordering? Who knows? But I use it a lot in my life. And I swear it always works!

I was drawn particularly to Agatha, as her story was so bizarre and gory. Many depictions are of her carrying her breasts on a tray, all though some passages have said that Saint Peter came to her and her breasts came back as bells or milk jugs. I have been researching saints for sometime now for a project I want to do and the odd thing is most women Saints were slaughtered and the men were just monks who died of old age… Funny that…

Grande Dame_My Voodoo On You 3
How was she created?
I drew her in the Flash animation program which I use for all my sketching. Then the black, red and 24 carat gold leaf was silk screened and I hand painted the rest.

Grande Dame_My Voodoo On You 2
You are currently hosting a spectacularly successful solo show, what has been the highlight of the exhibition so far?
The Private View night was amazing! Over 100 people showed up! I was really shocked. I didn’t expect that many people to come, as I don’t know a lot of people in Brighton. But friends came from Hastings, London, Somerset, from all over! It was brilliant! Also yesterday I gave a 2 hour talk on my career and how I ended up being an artist. It was kind of like a live therapy session! Ha! But it was cool to explain to people how I work and how I got to where I am. They seemed to enjoy it too! So yay! Result!

Grande Dame_My Voodoo On You 5
How long have you been working towards the show and what has been the best and worst parts of being so absorbed in My Voodoo On You for such a long period of time?
It’s been a 5 year project in the making. Wrote the album in 2009. Recorded it in 2010. Animated in 2011, 12 and 13. And spent much of 2014 doing all the art for it. The best part of being absorbed? Hmm… Well my mother always said “keeping busy is the key to happiness“… So I suppose just being focused on this project has been beneficial to my mental state. Although there have been times where I questioned myself as to why was I doing it and was it a waste of my life… The worst parts have been – money. Not having much or any, or worrying where I will get more to finish everything… And the few days before the show opened was so stressful. I worked myself into a right state. In fact the night before the PV I honestly thought I was having a stroke! But all in all – it was worth it! The good & bad!

Grande Dame_My Voodoo On You 4
What is the best thing about merging so many different methods of creativity?
Hmm… There isn’t a best thing really. It’s just how I work. I am a story teller who uses music, moving image and art to convey the meaning of the story… It all goes hand in hand. I would never hire anyone else to make my videos or do my record covers. I have to tell my own story. Also I am a control freak. Ha!

Grande Dame_My Voodoo On You 1
How do you manage to juggle all the various elements of your art making?
It’s not that hard really. Computers allow us to be are own industries. I have to really be in the zone to make music and honestly haven’t recorded anything since I did the album in 2010. Having said that, I’m always writing things & storyboarding ideas in my head. As far as the art side of things. Again – the initial design is done in Flash on the computer so it’s not too difficult to manage. Plus it’s nice to step away from my desk and do a bit of panting or embroidery, or gilding etc…

Grande Dame_My Voodoo on You cushions
You currently live in Hastings – what are the best places to hang out if you are a creative living on the South Coast?
My flat! Ha! I don’t really hang out too much to be honest. This year especially, I just haven’t had the time. But there is a great music and arts scene here. The Royal Standard is great for live bands, and there are always cool warehouse parties happening at artist studios…

Grande Dame terry de haviland couture
What can we look forward to from Grande Dame in 2015?
More art most definitely! I really would like to bang out another animation for this project that I started ages ago. Then it will totally be behind me. And also loads of photographs from my exotic, tropical holiday that I am hoping to go on at some point this year!

You can read what Tiff has to say about her involvement in my book here and pledge for her outrageously wonderful one off artwork on my Kickstarter campaign page here. She receives 50% of profits.

Categories ,art, ,Catholic, ,Exclusive, ,Flash, ,Gold Leaf, ,Grande Dame, ,Hail Marys, ,Hastings, ,illustration, ,Ink_D gallery, ,interview, ,My Voodoo On You, ,Saint Agatha, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,The Royal Standard

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Lorna Scobie: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Lorna_Scobie_black_catsAmelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Lorna_Scobie_black_cats
Lorna Scobie has contributed to Amelia’s Magazine for many years. She was one of my top picks at her graduate show in 2012, and since then she has designed for multiple clients, illustrated children’s books and won many awards for her wonderful animal illustrations. Black Cats was inspired by the superstitions associated with these creatures. ‘Whether they are the bearers of good or bad luck, black cats are subject to our superstitions from England to Japan. Here I have confronted this prejudice, and filled the viewers vision with silent black felines. Are they evil omens, or are they just like any other cat?

Cat_2_Lorna_Scobie
What inspired the personalities of your black cats?
Cats have great personalites – they are all so individual. I love the confused face you see on kittens so much, and I think most of these black cats have that face! I hope I’ve managed to portray that black cats aren’t just black cats, and that each one is as funny, quirky and silly as other cats. It’s funny to think that some people see black cats as devilish!

Cat_1_Lorna_Scobie
Apparently you don’t actually like cats yourself, so what drew you to these little furry beasties?
Although I don’t like the sneakiness of cats, I love drawing them. Cats have such great characters, they make it so obvious when they are miffed! I like the way they can contort their bodies when they lick themselves and it’s really fun to draw all their limbs. There’s just something about cats!

Tiger_Lorna_Scobie
What are your favourite animals, in real life, and why?
I love tigers – which is ironic as they are just big cats! The orange and black is so striking.

Dogs_Lorna_ScobieDogs_Lorna_Scobie
You’ve contributed to Amelia’s Magazine for years, what keeps you coming back?
I love the variety of content in Amelia’s Magazine. Sometimes I find myself drawing the same sort of things everyday and so it’s really refreshing to take part in one of Amelia’s live briefs and try something new. I also have SO much respect for Amelia. When I was in my second year of university Amelia was kind enough to give us a talk about her career and since then I’ve been a huge fan of everything she has done. Hearing Amelia speak inspired me start my own blog and social media pages.

Reindeer_Lorna_Scobie
What has been you favourite commercial client since you left university, and why?
I will always have a lot of love for Stella McCartney Kids as they were one of my first commercial clients, and it meant a lot to me that they trusted me despite it being fresh out of Uni. I really enjoyed the project – creating animal masks – as it was unusual and I was allowed a lot of creative freedom. I’m yet to have a bad experience with a client, perhaps I’m really lucky, but I think it’s because the majority of people out there are really lovely!

Jungle_Lorna_Scobie
What one top tip would you share with a new illustrator?
The best tip I’ve ever been given is that there is no rush! There’s so much pressure on new graduates to be instantly successful and it’s not fair to put that on yourself as it rarely happens. I firmly believe that if you are creating illustration that you like and if you work hard, you will get to where you want to be. It’s unlikely this will happen over night, so relax, don’t rush, it’s not a race!

Dalmatians_Lorna_Scobie
Have you got any exciting projects in the pipeline, and if so can you share a few details with us?
I feel like I’m constantly working on developing some picture books so hopefully some of these projects will come into fruition! I’ve also been working a lot with a big Paris fashion house recently, and lots of that illustration will be out in December.

Birds_of_paradise_Lorna_Scobie
Find out more about Lorna Scobie‘s working process here and buy her lovely Black Cats print – complete with super shiny gold leaf on the cats’ eyes – on my Kickstarter campaign page here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,animals, ,Black Cats, ,cats, ,Gold Leaf, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,Kickstarter, ,Lorna Scobie, ,Stella McCartney Kids, ,That Which We Do Not Understand

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Niall Grant: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Niall_Grant_Mater_GaiaAmelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Niall_Grant_Mater_Gaia
Niall Grant works between studios in Norwich and London, creating fine prints that are inspired by traditional European illustration. He has worked for a diverse range of clients and showed work in numerous exhibitions. Above you can view Mater Gaia, his contribution to my 10th anniversary artists’ book, and also available exclusively on my Kickstarter campaign as a very limited edition fine art print with real gold leaf. The image is inspired by his interest in life, death and the dreaming in between. The artwork features the celestial skies and elements of 16th century alchemic illustration above a forest clearing where beautiful crystals burst from the soil. His work provides a ‘visual medicine’ for the viewer.

Niall Grant Neverland
Neverland.

How did you create Mater Gaia?
I created this piece firstly with pencil sketches, and built on those with ink brushes and fineliners. This piece in particular was composed by using different drawings I made whilst researching the project. The colour was added from paper and watercolour swatches I’ve been using for years. This process feels very natural to me, and is quite a traditional approach to image-making.

Niall Grant Sleeping Fox
Sleeping Fox.

What does she mean to you?
Latin for ‘Mother Earth‘, this work depicts Gaia, who some believed to be Goddess of the Earth. It comments on how acts of nature are still attributed to unseen forces in some lands.

Niall Grant Hart Of Ten
Hart Of Ten.

Why did you decide to enter the open brief, were there any things that really appealed and if so what?
My eyes lit up when I first saw the brief. I thought the subject matter was perfect for what I was working on at the time. I myself am a spiritually strong person and I feel that’s important. There’s an Indian proverb that says “Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but, unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.” A lot of people neglect that spiritual room until the day they die, just going the way of the world. They don’t even think to look into it because it seems too dark, but if you keep asking questions they will be answered.

Niall Grant Strange Creatures
Strange Creatures.

Were there any big influences on your style of illustration from an early age?
I really admired the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano growing up. Gustave Dore, Norman Lindsey and Vania Zouravliov are all identifiable influences in my work. I have thousands of pages of artists work from all different eras. I love making Art and I love looking at it.

Niall Grant King Of The Monsters
King Of The Monsters.

You have worked for many amazing brands and companies, what have been highlights of your career so far?
I really enjoyed working with Lettucewear last year. It was more of an Artworking job and not my usual style, but they treated me very well throughout the three month project and we were always on the same page. It just ran like clockwork really. I think having good communication with who you are working with makes the project much more pleasurable.

Niall Grant The Abacus
The Abacus.

What is your favourite type of job to work on and why?
I love doing album art. I think it’s so special when art forms come together to complement each-other. I love the initial process of connecting with the music and interpreting it visually in your mind’s eye. I really enjoyed working with Secret 7” on the Jake Bugg vinyl cover.

NeverlandStudy_Niall Grant
Neverland Study.

You work between Norwich and London – why the two places and how does this work in practice? 
I grew up in Norwich and have roots there. Housing is literally half the price as London, which releases pressure. I have a nearby screen printing studio too, so I can get prints done whenever I want. London is two hours away, so I can work at a studio there for afew days and meet clients etc. It’s handy at the moment but I can see myself committing to one in the future.

Shells Music Niall Grant
Shells Music.

What are you most looking forward to working on in the future?
I have lots of personal projects that I need to finish up at the moment. I try to always be doing one, but they often overlap. I have a few secret projects underway with some exciting clients at the moment. Expect album covers, murals and editorials.

Read more about Niall’s piece for That Which We Do Not Understand here and grab your exclusive Mater Gaia fine art print on my Kickstarter campaign page here. 50% of the profits from the sale of this beautiful artwork will go to Niall Grant.

Categories ,Fine art print, ,gaia, ,Goddess of the Earth, ,Gold Leaf, ,Gustave Dore, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Jake Bugg, ,Kickstarter, ,Lettucewear, ,Mater Gaia, ,Mother Earth, ,Niall Grant, ,Norman Lindsey, ,Norwich, ,Secret 7”, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Vania Zouravliov, ,Yoshitaka Amano

Similar Posts: