Hexham jewellery artist pleased to have found silversmith career

Clare Edwin, of Hexham, has had a varied career and found that through many different experiences from her engineering and teaching, she has finally found a job that is the 'right fit' for her.

Clare discovered jewellery making which she felt 'bonded to' and made it into her career.

"I came to silversmithing in 2016, when I was looking for a creative escape from a career that had left me deeply unhappy and more than a little broken," Clare, 50, said.

"I was instantly hooked.

"The ability to take an unassuming scrap of metal and turn it into a piece of wearable art gave me immense satisfaction.

I knew very quickly that I wanted this to be more than just a hobby, and LollaMac was born."

"The name LollaMac comes from my mother. Her name Loraine was shortened to Lolla as a nickname when she was at school, and Mac is an abbreviation of her maiden name. "Coming from teaching and wanting to maintain some privacy and anonymity, I didn't want to use my own name.

Clare (Image: Clare)

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"I always thought Lolla was a catchy nickname so borrowed it."

Currently Clare has an exhibition at her studio at the Forge in Allendale called 'Forging Ahead'.
Clare adds: "LollaMac is a range of contemporary jewellery, all designed and handcrafted by me using traditional silversmithing hand tools and techniques in my studio.

"I have found that by working with sterling silver, copper and brass, the ‘mixed-metals’ look is a signature of the brand.

"My style is simple, clean and minimalist, with textures and designs inspired by the stunning landscape around me here in Northumberland.
"The name of this exhibition, Forging Ahead, is a nod not only to my own practice and the former use of the building in which I work, but also to the progress I have made, personally and professionally, since launching LollaMac.

"It has been great so far and I was featured in the October edition of Woman & Homes magazine, as one of three women selected for an article about changing career direction."

Clare (Image: Clare)