Our featured Artist Member for July 2024 is jeweller Norman Eames.
Norman studied Mechanical Engineering at Salford University. He has combined his engineering skills with his creative talent to create his unique brand of jewellery, which he has been designing since 2009.
The ‘desigNE’ range of contemporary jewellery is handcrafted from resin and incorporates aluminium details. The flow patterns derived from alternating layers of blended colours, interrupted by aluminium sections, produce a highly decorative, contoured effect. Norman mixes an extensive range of exciting and unusual colours, which are polished to give a smooth, glossy finish. ‘desigNE’ jewellery is also deceptively light in weight and comfortable to wear.
Polyester and epoxy resin infused with pigments are extremely versatile materials and form the basis for my jewellery designs. By combining these materials with aluminium and, potentially, other materials, a great variety of visual effects can be achieved.
My objective is to continue creating different designs taking ideas from accidental formations arising from my own work and ideas gained from colourful designs I see in nature or other forms of artwork.
I have three separate work spaces due to the different nature of procedures undertaken in each. A shed is the workspace for resin blending and pouring stages and also the final polishing stage for each piece.
The intermediate cutting and eight stage sanding process take place in the garage, which is also a storage space for part finished pieces. The garage also houses a kiln which I use to soften aluminium to create certain shapes.
I perform the final assembly stages in the house in a room specifically laid out for this purpose and also to provide storage for finished items.
One of my very early pieces which is heart shaped in Azalea. It is a relatively simple design, but the combination of the shape, colour combination and pattern is gorgeous. I have used it as a logo.
It is also true to say that my favourite “type” of piece would be the teardrop pendant enclosed within a sterling silver loop and in the casting resin which creates a stone-like effect.
My initial inspiration in relation to jewellery making resulted from a suggestion from the owner of a gallery in Lancaster who sold my artwork. At the time I supplied wood and resin ornamental items and pictures and, on delivery of a new batch of pictures, the owner suggested that “You could make jewellery like this.”
I had, in fact, considered this myself previously, but when prompted with this suggestion, I decided to have a go. I had previously, also, felt inspired by Rowena Park, a jewellery designer who created, colourful acrylic/gold leaf jewellery with wonderful patterns, and I had bought one of her chokers and a pair of earrings for my wife.
From here followed many years of experimentation and development, which is still ongoing, resulting in the desigNE jewellery range that I now produce.
A collection of Norman’s jewellery is available to purchase in the gallery and via our online shop.
