Meet the Make: Floralia - In conversation with Judith Brown

Image © Chelsea Shoesmith Photography

Summer’s in full swing, and so is our beautiful new craft and design showcase, Floralia. To celebrate the first in a new series of showcases, we’re talking to the talented makers behind Floralia to find out what inspires their work.

Judith began making wire jewellery after experimenting with hand stitching and coloured wire while studying for her embroidery degree in Manchester. Now based in the Staffordshire Moorlands, on the edge of the Peak District, she finds inspiration in the local landscape, often photographing the wildflowers, plants and leaves that come and go with the seasons.

Working with silver wire, Judith stitches, loops, twists and wraps to create intricate, delicate pieces adding glass beads for subtle colour and texture. For Floralia, Judith has included pieces from her latest collection, Foliage, inspired by the details in wild flowers and leaves.

Image © Judith Brown

What inspires your work? 

I’m greatly inspired by nature. I’ve lived in the Staffordshire Moorlands, on the edge of Peak District, since I moved here from the Wirral in 2012. I love exploring the wilder, quieter parts and taking photos of the wildflowers and plants and leaves that come and go through the seasons. Lockdown, whilst a challenging time, did give me the opportunity to really discover the area I live in, and to learn about the flora, fauna and wildlife that live here. I have thousands of photos that I turn to for inspiration regularly.

Tell us a bit more about the inspiration for the pieces you have included in the Floralia showcase.

The inspiration for these pieces comes from looking at tiny leaves and flowers and translating ideas using silver wire and glass beads. The designs are a progression on from previous designs which were influenced by Edwardian and Victorian jewellery, which lends them a nostalgic, vintage feel.

Tell us a bit more about your practice.

I’ve been working with wire for over twenty years now, I did a degree in Embroidery at Manchester and many of my techniques have been developed from that experience, my very first pieces were hand stitched with silver wire. Alongside my jewellery collections I also make bridal crowns and accessories as Judith Brown Bridal, and have a separate website that showcases that work. I also make decorative wire flowers arrangements, using wire techniques developed form my jewellery techniques to make something on a larger scale, but with the same inspiration and intricate and delicate aesthetic. I also love running workshops where I teach wire and jewellery skills, these take place in the building that houses my studio and in other venues around the northwest and midlands.

Describe your workspace.

I work from a studio above a quirky café in Leek, Staffordshire, It’s been the home for my business for over ten years now. I have divided the space up into a display area and a making and office area.  I have various treasures that inspire me in the studio, including quite a few dried wild seed heads and flowers as well as vintage haberdashery – my background is in textiles with a degree in embroidery. You can visit my studio, but it’s always best to check I’ll be in before travelling any distance.

Who has influenced and inspired you?

I did a degree in embroidery at Manchester, which I think was the defining experience of my creative life. We did a workshop called “stitching without fabric” with our course leader, Anne Morrell. I found this technique and idea fascinating, and ten years later I started to stitch in this way, but using wire, to create intricate and delicate shapes, and my twenty year career in wire work began.

What is your favourite piece or design you have made?

Whatever I’m working on at the moment is usually my favourite design, as it’s fresh and exciting to bring a new design together. I really enjoy making my bridal crowns as this allows for lots and lots of handmade detail, such as creating many tiny handmade wire leaves as part of the embellishments. I also love making bespoke or custom pieces for clients, as it makes the finished piece so unique.