What do you do and what are you most proud of in your making/designing history?
I am a contemporary mosaic artist and I produce a variety of work from interior wall pieces through to feature flooring, site specific artwork and public art sculptures. My largest project to date is the public art I created for David Wilson Homes in Leicestershire – a millstone wheel sculpture and series of mosaic/stone boulders running through a housing development. This was an ambitious project and I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone to scale up and combine natural stone and mosaic for the first time. I managed the project from start to finish – design, creation and installation and am immensely proud of the end results.
Where do you work and what materials do you prefer/get most inspired by?
I’m very fortunate to have a studio in the garden which allows me to work flexibly. I work with a huge mix of materials from vitreous glass and ceramic to natural marble, slate and vintage porcelain. I enjoy working in a freehand, organic style to create a sense of movement in my work and am most inspired by natural finds. I’ve built up quite a collection of river rocks and beach ceramic to use in my work.
What do think will be important or significant for craft practice in general in the future?
The value placed on craft skills and funding opportunities for development. Small business support, partnerships and tax relief – it’s not easy working on your own and managing the fluctuations of creative work – ‘feast or famine’!
What are your own aspirations for the next five years?
To keep getting my work out there so that it can be seen and enjoyed! I love seeing new work develop out of collaborations so more of this please.
Julie has been a member of Design-Nation incorporating Design Factory since 2011.