Raised vessels. 

Recently I completed a pair of raised vessels for clients as wedding gifts. I’ve always enjoyed the process of hand raising vessels in sheet silver, the textures and soft organic forms that emerge are very seductive, calm and tactile. As a maker I find the process quite relaxing, despite its physical nature,  the repeated hammering has a very meditative quality and to me represents the essence of being a smith.

Enriched silver vessel sealed with wax on a shoreline stone base.

Returning to this process again has renewed my interest in making raised vessels, seeing fresh possibilities in the forms. I’ve started exploring making more to produce a limited series of small hammered forms as collectible pieces, starting with whiskey tumblers and playing with found objects in various ways as bases, perhaps handles or other additions to tie them to the landscape I love.

Copper and silver tumblers.