Stephanie's story so far...

12/07/10

Well I don't believe there are any coincidences so perhaps it is poignant that I am launching my new website now, as in a few very short months I hit the big 4-0!!!! Aaaaargh!

To be honest it is with some trepidation I approach this milestone, but also with some excitement as it does truly feel like I am embarking on a whole new chapter in my life. Its already been an unusual life so far, and who knows what the future holds but isn't it exciting venturing forth to find out....if a little bit scary!?

I was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, ...well quite a while ago now and have moved around a lot! By my calculations I have moved 38 times so far... I seem to have settled down a bit now though as I am catching up with myself, at one point I was averaging 2 moves a year. Anyway among those moves was a spell in Australia and two separate spells in Canada, along with an idyllic childhood spent in the beautiful Orkney's...just magical!

I expect that all my travels have influenced my work on some level...I have a fascination for sky's, clouds, light and colour and how they interact as you can perhaps tell from the pictures in my gallery but I am constantly discovering and observing and seeing as if for the first time.

I was a bit of a late starter, primarily due to all the moving I expect but I graduated with a BSc Hons in Clothing from the Scottish College of Textiles in 1995 and then after a short spell working for a well known jeans manufacturer looking down the inside of mens jeans, I decided to take a leap of faith and move again, and so I began my second spell in Vancouver, Canada. It was an exciting time and very liberating. I started out working in retail but then landed a dream job, designing dolls clothes...I was getting paid for what I loved to do sitting in front of the fire when I was 5...it was brilliant! However things change and circumstances led me back to the UK and home to Scotland, this time I settled in Edinburgh where I was drawn to a short course in silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art. I was hooked! So I have continued to build on the skills I learned there and now combine them with my painting and design to create beautiful things. I worked for a while in my bedroom, under the bed, in my little flat but that soon became impractical so I was fortunate enough to find a little studio in Leith ( see the link for Coburg House Studios on the links page) This was a revelation...A dedicated space to work in with other like minded creatives. I worked there for a while but then circumstances changed again and I moved again, this time to London to be with my partner, who has been a huge source of support and encouragement and who has played an invaluable and integral part in setting up my new studio so I can make the most of it. Thank you so much David!

So that pretty much brings us up to date. I am now embarking on the next chapter in my unusual life and this new website is an exciting part of that. I often watch the “Antiques Roadshow” filled with wonder and inspiration by the beautiful things that someone once made and which people cherish and hand down from one generation to the next. I aspire to create objects of such desire, which will be cherished and handed down to the generations to follow. My Mum has always said that “ A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” and that is what I strive to create every day, it doesn't matter what the medium is, and many of them overlap, but my overall aim is to create something beautiful that will impart joy and maybe a little inspiration of its own too.