The Dancingcrow

Narrative jewellery and interesting things

My mixed media jewellery draws on myth and tale with individual elements of stories being brought forth from the text who feature as players in a visual drama designed to raise interest in the viewer.

Narrative surrounds us, we are a species of storytellers – from our distant days around an open fire to now, as modern makers and craftsmen – our work is the tale, as The Dancingcrow I have always been engaged in the narrative process (having initially trained as an illustrator) – from narrative creation through to finished work of art, it is part of my very existence.

How did I start? I suppose it started with an eclectic background knowledge of myth and story, and traditional skills rarely taught in books or from a class – these are skills that I have learnt over the past 40 years, this is the ‘magic that you learn by listening and experimenting, creating and building, line upon line, meme upon meme – loving your craft!

As a maker I want to challenge preconceptions about the value of art and craft - so dont be surprised to find a collar made from recycled copper and other objet trouve, yet be finished in 9 carat gold or sterling silver, or a bangle created in silver yet studded with sea washed shards of tide blown glass. It is a passion of mine to make use of the discarded - to combine them with the precious, and to continue their unique tale thread, to take the raw material and through long-honed skills, to craft, to develop, to nurture a piece of work that is imbued with myth and imagination.

The finished pieces are hand finished with precious materials as well as recycled materials to create individual artefacts. I want keep the roughness and wear and tear of some of the recycled materials, so, there may be blemishes and scars – so what? We all have a little wear and tear, I try to include this in the work – it’s earned its place in the finished creation so welcome to the world of the Dancingcrow,