My exhibition this year comprises pieces from four collections.
1 vitreous enamel – the most recent development in my work.
Looking for ways of re-introducing colour into my work, I went to an enamelling workshop. Little did I know how complex and exacting – and how engrossing – the process would turn out to be. This is the first step on a long journey.
2 Silver and gold
The main body of my work combines silver and gold, often employing a thin layer of 24ct gold fused to silver.
3 Black and gold
When the silver is oxidised the result is a distinctive contrast of black and gold
4 Bee jewellery
At the request of my daughter and inspired by the bees I keep on my allotment, I made bee pendants for her and her bridesmaids to wear on her wedding day. This developed into a range of bee jewellery.
Pieces from each collection are presented in my artist’s flipbook (URL)
• Most earrings can be supplied with fittings for non-pierced ears.
• Other designs are available and I also work to commission developing individual pieces for clients.
• Buy online or, to see a wider selection of my work, visit my venue in Jericho by appointment.
Contact: leonie@leoniebennett.co.uk
I came to jewellery late. I was a writer and editor, not looking for a new career, when I came across my late father’s tools. He had been a watchmaker and a jobbing jeweller and I felt a strong desire to learn how to use his well-worn files and many pairs of tiny pliers.
Soon I was hooked; and I devoted myself, over the next, fifteen years to acquiring and refining my skills. It had taken me half a lifetime to discover that I wanted to do what my father did!
Every maker has their own style – it’s a bit like handwriting – and I naturally work on a small scale and to a high level of accuracy. This also means that I spend a lot of time on my hands and knees on the workshop floor, looking for tiny components that I have dropped! I am fascinated by process and my current fascination is with the range of colour, the variety and techniques and the many different effects that can be achieved through the process of enamelling.