Ceramic artist had Queen as fan

Few people can list the Queen among fans of their work. But Wendy Ramshaw, who has died at the age of 79, was one such person.

Through her innovative jewellery and ceramics, the artist was renowned across the globe and her pieces are on display today in 70 galleries as far afield as Japan and Australia, as well as closer to home in the UK.

Mrs Ramshaw was born in Sunderland in 1939 and studied fabric design in Newcastle.

From there she moved on to further studies at Reading University, where she met her husband David Watkins, and the celebrated Central School of Art and Design in London.

Mrs Ramshaw was best known for her sets of rings, which were just as beautiful when displayed as sculptures as they were being worn by their owners.

She also worked on a number of architectural projects, including the New Edinburgh Gate in London’s Hyde Park.

As she became more widely known, the accolades began to roll in. She was nominated to be a freeman and later a lady liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, which promotes jewellery making and silversmithing.

In 1993 she was awarded an OBE by the Queen for services to the arts, and repaid the favour six years later when she designed and made a gold medal which was presented to the monarch to commemorate the beginning of the 21st Century.

Over the years Mrs Ramshaw continued to create and develop exhibitions, and became an honorary fellow of the London Institute and was awarded a CBE. Some of Mrs Ramshaw’s most ambitious work was debuted in Scotland, including her 1989 installation Picasso’s Ladies and 2007 piece A Journey Through Glass.

The Scottish Gallery described her as an “international champion of modern jewellery”.

A statement from the Edinburgh exhibition space said: “She was one of The Scottish Gallery’s favourite contemporary jewellers and will be missed.

“We will be opening 2019 with a pre-planned exhibition celebrating her work, including her signature ringsets.”

A spokesman from charity Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA), which Mrs Ramshaw supported for several decades, said the organisation was “deeply saddened” by the news.