Someone asked me the other day how I ended up making things like leather masks...
And to my surprise I had to really think about it! Well, I guess I've flowed, or perhaps stumbled, into it as a sort of natural progression of the things I've done before, spurred on by some sort of innate desire to create. As a child I loved costume and lived for fantasy games of what I suppose you'd call 'make beli
eve'. Then when I was older, not surprisingly, I got involved in doing a bit of theatre, both on stage and doing some behind the scenes stuff as well, certainly a lot of my own costumes. Then when I finished school, and was casting around for something to study further, I came across a course in costume making which sounded interesting. So I ended up getting myself a Diploma of Performance Technology, majoring in Costume Making. Of course it was hard work, and looking back I'm amused to realize that it taught me as much what I didn't want to do as the things I really enjoy! But in the end it gave me the skills which I continue to use now, and which I'm forever building upon. When I first started thinking about doing something with leather to sell, I contemplated wallets. I'd made one at university, which I still use now, and really enjoyed it making it. But when I sat down to make some without a leather sewing machine (which I've since remedied) it quickly became apparent that stitching them by hand was likely going to prove infeasibly laborious! So I put that idea aside for the time and began casting around again for something else. I then came across some old masks I'd made for myself over the years and suddenly it occurred to me that maybe I should have a go at making some leather masks. It ties in with that old passion for costumes and their transformative nature. And I could still enjoy working with leather, utilizing it's sculptural and textural properties to make something both artistic and functional. And best of all, I'd more or less have complete artistic freedom! It might have taken longer than I initially planned or imagined, but I'm here none the less, and that's what counts. Being self employed, I've found that what I do love the most is being able to have control over what I'm doing, and having the time to explore and play. My mentality is that there's always something new to learn or try, and that's what I hope will always keep my work fresh and my interest and enjoyment of it alive. In the future I'd like to grow the range of things I offer, but for now I hope you like what you find. I always love to get feedback, and I'm happy to answer questions if I can, so please don't hesitate to get in touch.
