She attained a Silversmithing and Jewellery Degree (Hons) in London where she won a merit award for her designs from The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Recently setting up a workshop in Australia, she returned to her passion, silver.
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| The Bell of Queenscliff |
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| Charm Pendant |
The following are exerts from her Catalogue The Moonah Stand-Jewellery:
"The Moonah pieces are primarily 925 sterling silver, some with a hint of resin, latex or enamel. This range evolved because I was given a seed pod off a felled Moonah from Victoria Park, Queenscliff...Sitting on the mantelpiece for a year, I was drawn to the little branch and decided to cast in Sterling Silver."
"Colours of the latex inclusions in the pendants are ingrained in my memory of the Victoria Park trees but not for the reasons you might think. Plastic ribbons tied to the trunks denoted that tree was to be felled. When? That depended on the colour...The presence of bright latex and resin in some pieces serves as a reminder to me that the hand of man is imprinted here."
"It's (the bright latex) a sharp contrast to the organic silver casting. In fact, the bright colour seems out of place...Just like a pink ribbon on a tree perhaps?"Suzanne's Maker's Mark is TLC which stands for The Laundry Collection. The icon inside the C pays homage to her front-loader!
What inspires you?
I am inspired by my life and what unfolds around me whether that be family, community or the materials I have available to me at a given point in time. My style, for want of a better word is therefore constantly evolving and changing.
What drives you to produce what you do?
I thrive on challenge, I always have done. I see each piece as a creative challenge I have to conquer. Turning an idea, that pesky little thought that won’t go away, into a piece that is aesthetically pleasing yet technically perfect is the goal. Each piece is different and has its own nuances. I am driven to find perfection, my Holy Grail, unobtainable yet so alluring. Hence, I am fastidious about the finish of each piece.
How would you describe your creative process?
Trial and error. Actually, a lot of error then epiphany. I latch onto an idea and it stays with me and the process of breaking it down to a working piece can take years or a day. I manipulate my metal, I sketch, I ask opinions of the family, I sleep on it, I dream about it. My best work has been produced as a result of satisfying a dream.
What handmade item do you cherish?
Probably the wrong answer but I have to say, everything I make. I feel so privileged to be doing what I am, each piece I produce it a testament to the journey that got me here and I cherish each and every one.
I will say I have a box of my mother’s letters that are very dear to me. She documented my life and our relationship through her writing for a period of 15 years until her death. I know letters may not be thought of as handmade, but in this computer age I can tell you a lot of time and love went into her words using pen and paper.
Besides your creative work, what else do you do, and like doing?
I’m at a period in my life where I like investing time with the family doing family activities. Oh, and there is a small interest I have in computers but more and more, even that is becoming part of my creative work. My challenge there is to conquer Computer Aided Design.
Which artist, writer, designer or craftsperson (living or dead) do you admire?
I saw an early ring by Georg Jensen and the simplicity and mirror finish have stayed with me as an object of desire and a standard to aspire to. I have always admired the designs of Wendy Ramshaw especially the Picasso's Ladies series. Deborah Brearley is a constant target for my admiration, seemingly effortlessly waving a magic design wand to every project she touches from drawing to painting, printing, quilting, animation and the rest! The work of sculptor Damien Elderfield takes my breath away.
What can make your day?When a teenager or young adult spontaneously says my work is “awesome” or “that’s really cool”. It’s one thing to happen in the family, increasing my cred with the children but another experience altogether when a total stranger says it. Either way, magic! Makes me feel like I’ve struck gold.
What are you currently reading?
Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks which a book club read but I do enjoy her books. It was also an e reader experiment. I was given a Kobo reader for Christmas and I loaded the whole reading list for book club 2012. Now the challenge is to actually get them read.
Latest magazine subscription: Frosting (a jewellery not cooking magazine!)
Frosting is just to keep me up with current Australian jewellery design trends. I also like examining the photography as I photograph my own pieces.
What is a favourite quote or saying?Carpe diem
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| Set up for photographing the finished works |
If you'd like to see the full catalogue mentioned in this post click this link: Moonah Stand Exhibition Catalogue
Suzanne has a solo exhibition opening February 9th at House Gallery, Queenscliff
To contact Suzanne email: Thelaundrycollection@gmail.com
Suzanne has a solo exhibition opening February 9th at House Gallery, Queenscliff
To contact Suzanne email: Thelaundrycollection@gmail.com
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