Rachel Hardie
Rachel Hardie is a Scottish maker born in Glasgow and a recent graduate of the Glasgow School of Art. She enjoys combining her love of drawing and metalwork skills to create sketch-like objects, inspired by the architectural quirks of her hometown. Rachel’s most recent work has been paying homage to the dormant chimneys which now sleep above the post-industrial city. Rachel’s approach when making is to embrace the flaws and imperfections inherent to the process. By intentionally exposing solder joins and highlighting any marks she therefore hopes to showcase the unique character of each piece. We are delighted to welcome Rachel for her Elements debut and bring you behind-the-scenes and into the studio for a look into her work and practice of making.
In the studio, sketches and inspiration
What is your process of designing and creating a new piece?
I like to capture my inspiration through photographs and translate them into drawings. My drawings are then simplified and refined into a technical drawing and then usually transformed into a paper model. I don’t like wasting material so paper allows me to explore lots of ideas in a quick and easy way. Paper models also allow me to visualise the scale and the way the piece could potentially sit in metal. Though sometimes paper can set me up for disappointment as I get carried away and forget metal isn’t always as flexible as paper is. That’s why I like happy accidents when working with my piece in metal. I think sometimes you need to experience your design in metal to understand what you really want from it. That’s why occasionally I let the making process take its own course. This does end up taking a detour from my original paper idea but it definitely keeps my making process exciting.
What inspires your material choice?
I love using a diversity of colours in my work and so I like to mix and match both precious and non-precious metals. There is also an element of exploration through techniques such as heat patination and oxidisation as I never quite know what shades I’m going to end up with. It’s a very spontaneous process but it also means each piece is very unique. I particularly enjoy the way that copper can reveal different beautiful shades of orange and red after quenching. Even though my material choice is inspired by colour I would say my work reflects a mature and matte palette.
What drew you to using the sweat-soldering technique in your work?
Sweat-soldering is a pretty standard jewellery technique that I was introduced to in my first year of working with metal at art school. My tutor at the time gave me a demonstration and I thought it was so cool and tidy. The decision to use sweat-soldering in my current work is actually the result of a technical solution to the problem of how to stack lots and lots of metal wires. Sometimes simplicity is key and it just works. Now though there’s a sense of challenge in how many wires can be soldered in one go! I find the combination of setting challenges like this and seeing how far I can extend a basic technique to be really satisfying.
What inspires you about Glasgow, and how does this influence your work?
I’m a visual person so often it’s the little curiosities and oddities that I find around me that inspire my work. I love Glasgow’s architecture as it combines the old with the new. It’s quite novel to see signs of Glasgow’s industrial past - smokestacks, factories, engineering works - on the skyline contrasted by all the new developments that are popping up. It feels like a city that is alive and has a history and character. There’s also an honest feeling when walking around it. Its imperfections make me love it more and that’s something I like to explore in my work. Rather than hiding the flaws and imperfections which are inherent to the making process, I like to embrace them and highlight them in each piece I make.
Sketches, inspiration, pieces in progress and the finished result
To learn more about Rachel Hardie and her work, you can find her at @rachel.e.hardie on Instagram or rachelhardie.co.uk. Rachel is one of fifty makers from across the UK taking part in this years’ digital Elements: A Festival of Jewellery, Silver and Gold.
Images and video courtesy of Rachel Hardie