Chris Pate has been working with metal clay since 2002, when she discovered it whilst in the middle of a four year metalworking course at Bristol College of Art. Up until that point she had found it challenging to bring her organic designs to life with traditional metal smith techniques and
so PMC presented a whole host of new possibilities that were very exciting.
Since completing her metal smith training, Chris has taught metal clay alongside traditional jewellery making methods at her studio in Somerset; a job which she loves and feels very privileged to do, since it allows her to encourage others to find that sometimes 'lost art' of being creative.
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Chris Pate. Masters Registery Entry |
Very recently Chris has gained her level one in the Metal Clay Masters Registry, an international achievement of which she is rightly proud. Up until that point, she had been working predominantly with silver, occasionally adding gold for colour and interest, but she tells us that the Masters Registry tasks have challenged her to use different metal clays and processes that she would not ordinarily work with.
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Master's Registry Syringe Project. |
When asked about her style, Chris says that this was something that gave her considerable angst at the start of her jewellery making career, since she felt that she didn't have a particular look. However, as time passed and she started to understand what she liked and didn't like and how this influenced her designs, her style evolved naturally without too much effort. She describes her style now as elegant and classic saying that she never designs anything that she would not be comfortable wearing herself, a rule of thumb which she applies to all her work including commissions. She firmly believes that if you are true to yourself, your designs will come easily and you will enjoy the process far more than if you undertake to make pieces that don't fit your style.
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Masters Registry Syringe Project |
However, that doesn't mean that Chris doesn't enjoy a challenge; participating in the Masters Registry and taking part in exhibitions stretches her technically and creatively and allows her the freedom to experiment without any commercial constraints.
Experimentation she states, is something that is crucial for an artist as well as being able to produce commercially viable work.
Chris has a wonderful purpose built studio which is only just across the road from her home and which makes her situation almost ideal. Her studio has evolved over the years and now has two floors, the downstairs area is a metal working studio with six jewellers' benches and the upstairs is a metal clay area with six workstations.
Even though she lives just across the road from this perfect setup, she admits this can be a disadvantage and on non-teaching days she sometimes finds it a challenge to get to her workplace and start the creative process. When this happens she tells us that she reminds herself of a quote on her wall by Chuck Close which essentially says 'Get to work and ideas and inspiration will come out of that process!'. Chris says that this invariably gets her moving and once there, she finds it easy to get started and immersed in her work.
Her main challenge when working is not to over complicate a design. Chris admits that sometimes when she knows how she wants a piece to look it can technically become so difficult that the essence of the piece can be lost. That said, she loves the 'problem solving' aspect of jewellery making and happily divulges that she keeps a notebook by the side of her bed, because solutions generally come to her in the middle of the night! Getting stuck for ideas however, is not a problem she faces often, if ever. More often than not, it's getting the time to develop the ideas that frustrates her.
Chris's all-time favourite piece is something that was made after a difficult personal loss. Her beloved stepfather died after a long illness and Chris felt the urge to create something to commemorate the man whom she loved and respected so dearly. The result was a piece called 'The Tree of Life'; a brooch with its own stand, made from silver wire, gold and silver clay and sapphire drops. She says that this piece represented the gift of life her stepfather gave to others through his immense fundraising efforts.
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Chris's Favourite Piece. |
Chris's studio is always busy with a regular stream of students and like minded artists who use the space and she considers herself to be very lucky working in such a creative and positive environment. Whilst teaching takes up a considerable part of the week she also believes that it is important for any teacher to continue to design and make and she regularly exhibits and sells her work in shops and galleries.
She loves the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the metal clay community and this and the dynamic advances in the field will ensure that metal clay will continue to play a major role in her studio and her jewellery making.
You can see more of Chris's work at her website and if you are in the Somerset area and interested in attending one her workshops, click here for more information.
Metal Clay Academy
I have included a picture of Chris's Bronze and Silver Sun box which didn't copy with the other part of the newsletter. I have seen this in real life and it is stunning!
I have included a picture of Chris's Bronze and Silver Sun box which didn't copy with the other part of the newsletter. I have seen this in real life and it is stunning!
Truly wonderful! :D
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