Sarah Parker-Eaton

Sarah Parker-Eaton is a jeweller working with precious metals, graduating from the University of Northumbria in 1988 with a BA (Hons) in 3D Design, after which she spent time training with jewellers and silversmiths. Sarah set up her own workshop in 1990.

Sarah is inspired by a diverse selection of marine fauna, plankton and fossils. Her jewellery explores the elements of these creatures that attract her such as articulation, surface patterns and form. Her newest designs based on her observations of varied marine fauna and plankton,. This has led her to make strange stalked creatures that could have emerged from mud flats and spiky beasts that would be more at home on rocky shores. Sarah has also been working on a series that resemble large molluscs.

Her work begins on paper as a series of sketches mainly done in the Natural History Museum library in London. These are re-drawn repeatedly until a particular design emerges. She then begins to work in silver and gold, hammering out the bulging shapes and allowing the piece to develop further. Some pieces have been pierced through with forged tendrils and others appear to be kept afloat with small domed silver air sacks. Most of Sarah’s work is given a sheeny satin finish or a darker oxidized look and details such as tiny gold bobbles are highlighted with a polish.

Selected Exhibitions & Commisions
1990
"Silver Works", Facets, Devon.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.
Silver trophy for the British Chihuahua Society.

1991
20th Anniversary Exhibition, Electrum Gallery, London.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.
Showcase at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

1992
Showcase at the City Art Gallery, Leeds.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.

1993
Collection of silver napkin rings for the "Silver Launch" at Liberty, London.
Festival Exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.

1994
"What is jewellery?", Crafts Council Gallery, London.
Profile Exhibition at the Crafts Council Gallery shop, London.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.

1995
"Out of this World", Crafts Council Gailery, London. _
Showcase at the Aberdeen Museum and Art Gallery.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.

1996
"Adorn and adore", Portcullis, Gate.shead.
I Oth Anniversary Show, Facets, Devon.

1997
G~don Beale Frank Gallery, Ohio, USA.
Showcase at Primavera, Cambridge.
Goldsmiths' Fair, Landon.

1999
"Rare Find", The New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.
Goldsmiths' Fair, London.

2000
Expo Arte, Norway.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.
"Small Treasures", del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
Goldsmiths' Fair, London.

2001
"Beneath the surface", Brewery Arts, Gloucestershire.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.

2002
SOFA, New York with the del Mano Gallery.
"Plankton" at the Crafts Council Shop at the V&A, London.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London
SOFA, Chicago with the del Mano Gallery.
"Surface and Form", Craftwest, Perth, Australia.

2003
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh.
Model House, Wales.
Plankton, Craftwest, Perth, Australia.
SOFA, New York with the del Mano Gallery.
The Gowan Gallery, Hertfordshire.
Goldsmiths' Fair, London.

2004
SOFA, New York with the del Mano Gallery.
"Genus Australis" at Kew Gardens.
Goldsmiths' Fair, London.
Chelsea Crafts Fair, London.
10th Anniversary Exhibition, JaM, Berkshire.

2005
"Collect", V&A Museum, London.
SOFA, New York with the del Mano Gallery.
"Genus Australis" at Wakehurst Place, Surrey.
"Genus Australis" at FORM, Western Australia.
Goldsmiths' Fair, London.

Bibliography
Crafts, ‘Fruits de Mer’, p.38-41, no. 178, Sept/Oct 2002
Nature, ‘Science in Culture’, p.920, Vol. 418 29 August 2002
Craft Arts International, ‘Manifesting the Invisible’ by Kevin Wallace, issue 55, 2002
"'The Encyclopaedia of Jewellery Making Techniques" by Jinks McGrath, (Headline).
"Art Today" by Norman Binch, (Oxford University Press).
"Jewellery and Accessories" by Juliet Bawden, (Letts).
"Decorative Boxes" by Juliet Bawden, (Letts).
Interviewed on "Kaleidoscope", BBC Radio 4.
Extensive coverage in magazines, newspapers and local television and radio.

Awards/Grants
1989 Crafts Council Training Scheme Grant.
1990 Crafts Council Setting up Grant.
1993,Eastern Arts Board marketing grants.
1999 British Jewellers' Association Award.
2001 East England Arts and Commissions East Award for Artists.
2004 Grant from FORM, Western Australia.

Public/Private Collections
Aberdeen Museurn and Art Gallery
Liverpool Museum and Art Gallery
Craftwest Collection, Western Australia.

Residencies
Designing Futures International Residency Programme 2003, one month residency in Perth, Western Australia organised by the Craftwest Gallery