For as long as I can remember I was encouraged to make things, to knit, spin, weave, draw, paint. To create my own toys, to build secret hideouts in the garden and to defend them, well-equipped with costumes, wooden swords, bows and arrows.

I can’t remember why I started doing leather work. Maybe I was browsing wood carving and veered sideways into leather. I think leather work appealed to me because it could be solidly practical- create useful everyday items. But also create works of art for the simple purpose of beauty, and so many variations and combinations of the two.

I have been doing leather work since 2013 when I booked a basic leatherworking course for my birthday, entirely on a whim. I decided that this was a hobby I could specialise in and had soon acquired several tonnes of leather to play with. When expanding this hobby in a business, I gave a great deal of thought to what I would make; things that weren’t often made in leather, things that were a bit different.  

So when I seek inspiration for leather work now, I turn to nature, the bush and waterside where I grew up, the lessons and old books used by my mother and grandmother, and certainly my interests in history and other cultures.

I particularly enjoy leather carving and stamping and the complexities of dye and paint combinations that are available to accent that work. But, as with any artistic discipline, there is always some new technique, tool or material to be discovered and explored. My favourite item to make is probably horse tack and barding, simply because I never grew out of my fondness for animals and love the chance to work with them.

I hope you enjoy sharing in my leatherworking journey.