I created this one-of-a-kind handmade brooch called Skull Unpinned from a piece of brown slate, a gold-coloured safety pin and a gold-coloured skull. I found all the bits and bobs for this brooch during my daily walks.
Normally I create wall sculptures and 3D sculptures from the wood, metal and tiles I find on the streets of Melbourne. However, through Instagram I met handmade jewellery designer Lynn Powers from New Orleans. She encouraged me to try making jewellery from the objects I found on the street, but I never had.
How I became a brooch designer
Then in 2019, I saw that the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria was holding its Australian National Brooch Show at the Fitzroy and Eltham public libraries. I displayed five of my brooches–and found that making them is great fun. In 2020, my brooches were in Wearable Art at The Old Auction House in Kyneton. They were also online in Survival Kit at the University of Melbourne George Paton Gallery.
Where my brooches have been featured
In 2021, as part of Geelong and Melbourne Design Weeks, my brooches were featured in an exhibition at The Reimaginarium in Geelong. They were also at The Old Auction House in Kyneton.
A special series using handmade 19th-Century nails from a friend’s roof are in the 2021 Australian National Brooch show. Several of my brooches are at CoLab Arts in the Park at The Pavilion, Fitzroy Gardens, through December 2021.
Where you can find my brooches
My brooches are always available through Incube8r Gallery, in the Fitzroy shop and online.
