Esther Smith
Skovarnek Wood
Esther has a lifelong fascination for crafts, stories and metalwork. Her interests led her to study jewellery and silversmithing to degree level at the Birmingham School of Jewellery. A later move to Falmouth introduced her to the intriguing world of automata. Falmouth has a history of contemporary automata making and Esther was charmed by the varied collections. Many of these mechanical objects were made in wood, but Esther saw the possibilities of using her fine metal working skills to bring her own particular aesthetic to the craft. Automata gave Esther scope to explore the world of narrative, with a mechanism to bring a moment to life.
Esther grew up in the Highlands of Scotland and now lives in rural Cornwall. She is inspired by the wildlife of both places and is keen to capture the wonder of witnessing nature in her work. She works with copper and brass, their natural qualities lend themselves to producing the finish she wants. Motifs are snipped or sawn from sheet metal, forged to add texture then soldered in place. Natural colours are produced through a range of patination techniques.
Esther’s love of nature means that she is careful to work as sustainably as possible. She uses reclaimed metal where she can and she only uses reclaimed wood for the bases of her pieces. She sourced hardwood for the pieces in Kinetic from storm damaged trees from a highland estate.
Esther’s work is sold in galleries throughout Britain from the north of Scotland to the south of Cornwall; it has been exhibited in Falmouth Art Gallery, and is in the collections of the National Trust.
Cornwall