When I was at Grennan Mill Craft School, there was the moment when Peter Donovan demonstrated traditional silversmithing, raising a bowl from a sheet of copper. We watched in awe, as he coaxed the copper over the anvil with hundreds of hammer blows.

After Peter’s demonstration I made a copper bowl. As it had been passed down to him, Peter passed on the skill to me. 40 years on, my work is still a development of traditional silversmithing; moving a flat sheet into shape using a hammer and anvil.

Through training at different art colleges over seven years. Also learning from masters like Michael Good and Charles Lewton-Brain, who had a great influence on my work. And of course, practice helped me hone my skills over time.

Silver is an amazing material to work with, soft enough to be moved under the force of a hammer yet rigid enough to hold a fixed form. It has almost magical qualities; it can be both stretched and compressed according to the craftsperson’s will.