About Me

I grew up in the Cambridgeshire fens at a time when the expectation for

children was to spend all day outside ... whatever the weather. During these

forays I’d explore, gather and collect natural objects.

Despite being told at secondary school that I was ‘no good’ at art I clung

onto the notion that art was very much  central to my life and had everything

to do with me.

I worked in a studio pottery for many years and in

my late 30’s I gained an Honours Degree in Art &

Education at Cambridge University.

I had my first painting exhibition at the age of

43.   I am a participating member of the

Cambridge Open Studios, a group of over 200

artists who open their studios to the public

every July.

http://www.camopenstudios.co.uk/content/carol-banks

I still forage for natural materials which informs my work regardless

of the media I am

using.

I always look

for inspiration

from artists past

and present.

As an avid reader and a commited

romantic I look for love in every piece of

text.

I recently discovered silver clay,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_clay, an exciting material that suits me on many different levels:

•

it is a recycled product

•

it is malleable and has similar properties to clay which is great because I can transfer my pottery skills to work it. I even

use my old pottery tools with it ... bonus! But more than that my fingerprints and struggles to create are often visible in

my jewellery and therefore bears the marks of the maker

•

I can work directly with impressions from bark, leaves, shell, stones etc. which gives an immediacy and unique quality

to different pieces

Along with natural materials I allow serendipity to play a part in my work and life. So often we try to order and sculpt our lives

whereas life itself usually dictates the complete reverse.

I'm with Nemo “be a piece of kelp, come in with the tide, go out with the tide”  ...well that's the theory!

If you, like me, want to celebrate the strange and quirky facets of nature please look through my jewellery collections.... BE

WARNED you will find nothing straight or uniform in my work but as in nature it is  harmonious and pleasing on the eye.