Home is where the art is for Jen...

FRANK RUHRMUND looks at the work of one Cornish designer whose jewellery captures the essence of West Penwith

It was almost 50 years ago, pursuing an original idea by the weaver Joan Lee, that the Cornwall Crafts Association came into being. With a steering committee composed of Wyndham Goodden, former Professor of Textiles at the Royal College of Art, John Barnicoat, Principal of what was then Falmouth School of Art, and the celebrated St Ives potter Janet Leach, the Association soon flourished and gained a reputation nationally for the high standards of design and making of its members. To quote its President, HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall, “Visitors to the Association’s galleries cannot fail to be impressed by the members’ skill and flair by which, through work exhibited, our lives are enriched.”

One of those members, West Penwith-based silversmith Jen Williams, is now enriching our lives, courtesy of the co-directors Tracey Spry and Christine Weschke of the Lighthouse Gallery, Penzance, who are now featuring her work online. It was just a decade or so ago that, having been always fascinated by the making of art, in particular that of silver jewellery, that Jen Williams took a course in silversmithing at Penzance School of Art, tutored by the multi-talented, not to say one and only, Eddie Williams. The rest, as they say, is history.

Only last year Jen, pictured right, was one of the 40 craftsmen and women invited to be part of an exhibition to be held at Treliske House in celebration of 125 years of the National Trust. Although it never happened, being a victim of lockdown, it led to her creation of Porthcurno Beach, in the form of a necklace, which in turn led to her “Coast” collection, inspired by such places in West Penwith – where she lives with her husband Mike and pet dog Willow, a splendid young wolf-deer hound cross – as Porth Chapel and Pedne Vounder, not forgetting the path to the sea at the Battery Rocks, Penzance, a popular spot for sea swimmers, among them her mother.

A jeweller and designer-maker who enjoys working with a variety of creative mediums to help develop her artistic processes and practice, Jen Williams comes up with entirely hand-crafted silver pieces using traditional silversmith techniques and tools that mirror the local landscape, a place, as she says, “of ever changing external beauty that provides a constant source of visual inspiration.”

Using a combination of her silver with eco-friendly glass beads, semi-precious stones and occasionally beach pebbles, each of her pieces has a sculptural quality and an understated elegance highlighted by the rustic finish of her materials.

From the mysterious giant standing stones and quoits to be found inland to the rugged cliffs that form its coastline, the rock pools and the sand patterns visible at low tide, the essence of West Penwith is to be found in her work. Each piece of which, as she says, is representative of her native surroundings and is her way of interpreting it in a wearable as well as a visual art form.

Ever practical, she also gives advice on caring for one’s jewellery.

“Silver will tarnish over time, and to retain its matt finish it’s best to avoid silver polishing cloths.

“Be careful to use a soft non-abrasive cloth to avoid damaging the surface of the silver and dip it in warm soapy water before gently cleaning. A soft tooth brush can be used for hard to reach areas. Glass beads can also be cleaned with warm soapy water, rinsed and left to air dry. If you like a bright finish to your beads gently rub in a tiny amount of sensitive skin baby oil. Or you may prefer to leave them looking as if they have just been tumbled by the sea.” She also points out that while her designs may be repeated the shapes, textures and colours of the components that collectively make each piece will all be different. “Taking on their own form as they go through various creative processes, telling their own story and making each piece unique and special to the person wearing it.”

What more could one wish for? A talented, natural born Cornish jeweller and design-maker, the work of Jen Williams can be seen online at the Lighthouse Gallery’s website, and she can also be followed on instagram – @jen.williamsart