Artists Open Studios Sheffield & South Yorkshire 2012
Joe Dixon
Academy of Makers, Butcher Works, Arundel Street, Sheffield, S1 2NS
Joe Dixon is a final year student at Freeman College. Studying the specialist craft based curriculum at the college, Joe had the opportunity to learn various craft skills and found he enjoyed working creatively with his hands. He discovered that felting and silversmithing were his favourite visual arts practices.
Combining both techniques Joe has recently established his own jewellery business and his main products are felt earrings, necklaces and brooches; he has recently exhibited these works in Art-Booth Gallery, Goole.
Joe works with felt sushi beads, which he makes himself. Using pre-felt as a base he adds varying colours of fleece. These are then rolled together using traditional felting techniques, which constitutes a lot of hot soapy water and vigorous physical rolling.
Once the rolls have felted and dried they are sliced to create the sushi beads, revealing the swirls of coloured felt. Incorporating felt into his jewellery in this way introduces colour and texture producing highly decorative pieces at reasonable prices.
Joe is delighted to be part of Open Up 2012 and the opportunity it offers to show his work to the visiting public. He will be sharing a space with silversmith, Victoria Kershaw in the Academy of Makers, Butcher Works on Saturday 12 May where he will be demonstrating how to make sushi beads and showing his completed pieces of jewellery.
A short interview with Joe is available on our YouTube channel
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