JADE MELLOR

Fashion...some people might enjoy it, some people might hate it and some people might find it hilarious, but as long as it's what you want it will be always be fantastic!

From the buried treasures of Pompeii to jewels found in meteorites and asteroids falling to earth over millennia; Jade Mellor wants to evoke the feeling of uncovering gems that have practically become part of the landscape through the wearing of time, but originate from another world or civilisation. A 2009 graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University’s 3D Design course, Jade’s continuing experiments in capturing forms and textures through mould-making mimics processes in nature that take millions of years. Each Hewn ring is uniquely formed by Jade, combining natural elements in resin. They are experimental studies in capturing the colour, texture or structure of the ancient ruins, minerals and fossils that intrigue her. She transforms these ideas into modern, wearable pieces through the medium of resin. Lightweight enough for large statement pieces, but heavy enough to know you are wearing something of substance, the flexibility of this material allows Jade to artistically mix pigments combined with metals, stone powders, minerals and precious stones in their rugged state evoking the feeling of ancient treasure unearthed from the ground. I started using resin because I was struggling to use the facilities at university. I had suffered a prolapsed disc after an accident in a summer job and the posture of craning over a workbench or even sat at a desk put too much pressure on my back and even with painkillers it was too hard to concentrate on intricate tasks and spend full days making. It was my two sisters who introduced me to resin, they are both jewellery designers and were studying at the same time at another university. This meant I could create my own workspace in my student bedroom, at a height where I could kneel and move around a lot. Having limits on what I could do made me push the material finding new ways of achieving what I wanted and made me open to being experimental. Now that my back problem has recovered I am really looking forward to trying more things in metal and combining it with what I have learned in resin, and hopefully this will involve some projects with my sisters Julie and Roz too as our work although different has a lot of cross overs and we share a lot of the same inspirations.

Nothing inspires me like...
A trip to a museum or a mini expedition around an old ruin. My camera allows me to capture the feel of what I’m looking at, but a little sketch book for quick scribbles makes me focus on the important details by picking out the bare bones.

I hope...
That I get to keep on making things and that it might be something other people can enjoy as well.

Cultural influences...
Are a big part of my work. From visiting amazing spectacles such as the city of Pompeii where the buildings, people and their objects have been preserved by volcanic ash, to modern culture such as an iconic record sleeve I saw as a child.

I got where I am...
By making the most of what I have and using my interests and the things around me. The people closest to me are all creative, each in their own individual ways so it is a massive joy to share ideas with them and hopefully we can all support each other. It makes it easier when there’s a lot of hard work or it seems more of a struggle, but it also means you can share when good things are achieved.

Fashion can sometimes...
Be serious but I think you should enjoy it as another way of being creative and expressive. How you decorate yourself in a way that you really love what you’re wearing is like doing a little dance or singing a song. You do it because you want to. Some people might enjoy it, some people might hate it and some people might find it hilarious, but as long as it’s what you want it will always be fantastic!

I like...
Making things and always have done. I was very lucky that my parents didn’t mind when I made a mess. Now I have a workshop/studio near my Dad who is a cabinet maker in our family home, which he converted from a Victorian Chapel. He builds things from classic designs in old books or restores Tudor buildings or antique furniture. We can borrow each other's tools and share sandpaper. I make the tea though.

Creativity comes from...
Everything else that you’re interested in. The wider your resources the more
imaginative you can be as it feeds into your own ideas.

I get bored easily...
So I like to have a lot of projects on at once. All of my pieces are individual and my favourite part of making is having a crazy idea and trying it out. I get very excited, and if it works that‘s brilliant, but also just thinking of things and trying them is the only way to achieve something new, there is always something to be learned and it usually then leads to something else...

There’s a new...Trend around of seeing the beauty in nature. Using shapes and patterns occurring in
nature and casting from real organic objects. It happened with Art Nouveau and again in the 60s and 70s. It makes me happy to see it and hopefully be a part of it. I don’t know what will come next though, but it is exciting...

If I could...
Do anything else I would love to have a family museum/shop. My family have collected so
many beautiful or crazy objects. One of our pastimes has been to guess the object, where my dad brings back something he’s found and we have to work out what it was used for.

My vice is...
Dark rum with coke and lime or ginger beer. Or more rum.

Faith in...
Your ideas is very important. Visualising what you want (to make, or achieve) and hoping you can is the first step towards making it a reality. Then you have to work out a way to make it and put the effort in, but if you don’t believe you can you never will.

I once thought...
Living in the city was everything. Now I am happy spending my time between the village I grew up in, Manchester where I studied and lived, and London as it is the hub for creativity. Being away from the countryside for a number of years made me appreciate it more but I would go crazy without the freedom and excitement of things going on in a city.

Cake makes me...
Work hard so I will deserve a slice of homemade banana loaf with a cup of tea. It means celebrating, whether a job well done, or the fact you haven’t given up on a tricky bit and are still going. Nothing tastes as good as a loved one’s birthday cake dribbled with bits of candle wax.

I dance like...
My designs. Making crazy shapes!

Jade Mellor on NJAL