Once upon a time, there was a girl who saw an intriguing necklace and wondered how it was made. So she found herself some pliers and some wire and a place to sit, and after a few hours of blissful manipulation she was hooked on the idea of making and wanted to learn more.

So begins the story of Simone Walsh, contemporary jeweller from the Adelaide Hills. Initially teaching herself some jewellery making basics back in 1992, she then moved on to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts with a major in Jewellery through Sydney College of the Arts. Twenty years later, her work is sold all over the world.

 

 

One of her core aims is to operate an eco-friendly and sustainable business, and to this end, most of the precious metals she uses are recycled. Favourite materials include sterling silver, gold and gemstones.

Traditional metalwork techniques are used to make her jewellery – saw-piercing, etching and gilding. However, her design approach is distinctly contemporary, using pattern and decoration from different cultures and time periods in history as the basis for her many of her works. In some pieces, details of pattern are reinterpreted and overlaid, creating intriguing mixes of aesthetic.

 

 

Her childhood in the 70s was a mixed bag of macrame fun and needlework aversions at school, and she remembers “feeling resentful that my brother got to do other things.” There are some beautiful memories too – she vividly remembers painting and decorating a tin with shells as a gift for her Mum when she was very young, which she was immensely proud of. High school was an improvement on her earlier years,  as she was able to do woodwork, metalwork and photography. “My first experience of making jewellery was a high school elective – I used scrap wire to solder together a brooch.”

Simone credits her grandmother and her great grandmother with the same qualities that she admires in jewellers. “My grandmother probably didn’t think of herself as being especially creative, but she was highly skilled at delicate, lace-like crochet.  This work was very intricate and required a lot of patience – both of which relate to the jewellery making work I do now. And although I never met her, my great-grandmother did a lot of very intricate beading work – stitching thousands of tiny glass beads to fabric in various patterns. I have an antique cigarette tin containing some of her work and it has always fascinated me.”

 

There have been personal struggles along the way too. “After taking my business online in 2006 it took off and became very busy quite quickly. Back then I was also working full time, while trying to run what had become an often more than full time business.  Eventually I dropped back to working part time, but I was still working very long hours 7 days a week and was struggling to keep up.

“Eventually this took its toll and I developed serious problems with anxiety, particularly in relation to my business.  It became very debilitating and was immensely frustrating, as I knew the problems I was having were completely irrational, yet I couldn’t seem to make them stop!

“These days I’m fully self-employed, which comes with its own stresses, but I do have more control and balance in my life.  I’ve also learnt some skills to help manage my anxiety a lot better.  I’ve not been cured of it, but it’s a lot more manageable now.”

 

 

However, the rewards of her career choice are worth every bit of struggle. “Being able to move into being fully creatively self-employed was a huge achievement for me. I’ve dreamt of running my own business since I was young, but was never sure if I’d be able to do it at all – let alone by being a craftsperson/designer.  However, once my business started doing well I kept striving towards being able to make it my primary source of income.

“It was terrifying finally taking the plunge a few years ago as it was so hard to know when the time was right.  It’s certainly not always easy, but so far I’ve survived and have managed to make ends meet.  Long may it continue!”

 

 

 

Since then she has bought herself a house, after many years of renting.  “My most favourite thing is that the house is mine and I can do what I like with it!  Not that I’ve had the time (or money!) to do a lot so far, but I have lots of plans. In particular I’m looking forward to creating a beautiful garden in what is currently mostly a blank canvas.  I’ve made a start on it, but there’s heaps more to do.

“My studio used to be a very dark shed with a wall missing, but it’s been lined, painted and had windows and a sink installed. It’s still not quite finished, but it’s now a light, functional space with a view out over my evolving garden – I love working in it.”

 

 

Her best advice? “Oddly enough it’s a piece of advice my cousin gave me when I was learning to speed skate as a kid! He said: ‘Always remember you have as much right to be here as anyone else – don’t let anyone force you out of the way’.  I find it’s a good thing to remember in all sorts of situations.”

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Simone is currently celebrating 20 years of making jewellery. Congratulations to her, that’s a mighty effort! You can find more of her work on her website, along with links to her blog.

With thanks to Simone for sharing her words and images here.