Kirsty Eaglesfield

I am inspired by the way the sea weathers and erodes objects, changing their texture and shape; wearing away the paint on wooden boats, matting the surface of plastics and glass and eating away at metal. The jumble of objects and shapes you can find in a harbour, boatyard or washed up on the beach captivates me. Tumbled piles of lobster pots and fish crates, old ropes and buoys, pieces of sea-washed glass and driftwood, as well as the shapes and structures of boats themselves all inspire my work as a silversmith.

I work mainly with silver and wood, often incorporating pieces of collected flotsam. I enjoy exploring the different ways each material can be worn away, textured and formed. Hammering silver against rusted, marked surfaces creates interesting textures and by wearing wood down to expose the grain, liming, painting and sanding it, I can replicate the effect the sea has on a piece of driftwood.