Introducing Cath from Bent Wires. Where every item is handmade!! From her home in Melbourne, Cath handmakes all of her fabulous jewellery.
Find out why Cath started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
I make unique jewellery pieces from argentium silver or gold filled wire. All of my pieces are made using traditional silversmithing techniques and are entirely handcrafted.
I am a self confessed silver addict and I enjoy exploring new techniques and skills. I absolutely love developing new designs for my range of rings, pendants, earrings and chains.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I have always been a maker of sorts from knitting and crocheting to sewing, calligraphy and illustration. A few years ago I was scrolling through YouTube and caught a wire working tutorial totally by chance. I thought to myself 'I really needed to try that one day.'
In the midst of the Covid lockdowns I finally had the time to explore the idea.
Many online tutorials and a pile of scrap metal later I suddenly had thirty pairs of earrings I had nothing to do with.
Bent Wires was born.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
I get a lot of inspiration from the shapes, organic lines and textures I find in nature. I live by the beach and there are often wave motifs in my work. I especially love playing with texture and contours.
Silver is such versatile metal it constantly amazes me how such small changes in angles and textures can completely alter the look and feel of the design. I like to work organically so sometimes what I start out to make is not where the final piece ends up.
My bench can be my biggest inspiration. The shapes of off-cuts and discarded metal often materialise into new ideas and new making challenges.
Where did you learn your craft?
I started out as a self-taught wirework artist. Online tutorials and some free online classes were my best friends in the beginning. But a couple of years in I found I was hitting some limitations in my designs so I completed workshops in silversmithing and some additional online learning with metalwork techniques.
I don't feel like I have learnt my craft yet, but am a little further along the journey. There is always so much more to learn!
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
Handmade artistry is very important to me. Each handmade creation has its own story that is unique and authentic. It offers a personal experience that you cannot get anywhere else.
Cath is a much loved member of the Madeit Collective, posting regularly in our Facebook Group ~ The Handmade Marketplace of Australia ~ and sharing her new creations as they are released. If you haven't connected with Bent Wires, make sure you join our FB Group and say hi !
