Artist's Statement
Lesley is a British jeweller specialising in the use of cellulose acetate (derived from cotton oil) combined with sterling silver. The acetate can be layered into a wide range of patterns and can be manipulated into far more fluid forms than other forms of plastics. Lesley's passion for designing and making jewellery started in 1976 at The City Literary Institute, London, England. Since then she has continued to evolve and develop her personal style. Her inspiration comes from weathered, natural forms and sculptors of the 1950's. The final finish of each piece is important to her as she likes the wearer to have a very tactile relationship with her work.

Many well known galleries both in the UK and abroad sell her work. Please click the galleries button for a list.

Technique
Over the last thirty years Lesley has developed many new manufacturing techniques, either by modifying existing hand or industrial processes or by inventing them from first principles. To achieve her goals she has developed special methods of forming, polishing and matting the acetate. The basic methods used are hand scraping, filing and sanding followed by heat forming and polishing or matting techniques. Some pieces are decorated with silver piqué whilst others combine acetate forms with silver cast elements. Small batch quantities of each design are made and each piece is individually hand crafted to a fine finish.   

The two guiding principles that Lesley applies to all her work are to strive for elegant simplicity and empathy with the wearer. This has enabled her to develop continuously fashionable, wearable jewellery.  Lesley has exhibited at the following shows:

• 1994/5/6/7/8/9, 2000/1/2/3Chelsea Crafts Fairs
• 2006/7/8/9 Origin with the Crafts Council
• 1996/7/8 San Francisco International Gifts Fairs with the Crafts Council.
• 1999/8 Inhorgenta, Munich with the Crafts Council
• 1999 New York Gift Fair with the Crafts Council. Regular exhibitor with Dazzle

Collections
• The Ulster Museum, Northern Ireland
• The Koch Ring Collection

Lesley's work is on the Crafts Council Index of Selected Makers, (see the Photo Store) . She is a member of Contemporary Applied Arts and Design Nation.

Please click on the galleries page for her stockists and the events page to see this year's exhibitions.