Jewellery by Heather McDermott. Photo by Gabriela Silveira
About Heather McDermott
Scottish jeweller, Heather McDermott takes her inspiration from the ever-changing shoreline and landscape of the Isle of Skye, where she has an open studio throughout the year in the most southerly township of Aird, Sleat.
The tideline of Skye is a treasure trove of unique objects discarded from the urban environment and deposited by the power of the Hebridean swell. Here rope, wood and plastic take on a subtler identity as wind and waves shape and re-shape form and colour. The continually changing shoreline is her constant source of inspiration.
These inspirational scenes are developed and translated in Heather's work by utilising shapes and colours. Unconventional in size and structure, each piece is an expression of sculptural form and is designed to create a statement.
The industrial nature of the stainless steel is hand formed into soft geometric shapes mimicking fishing nets and lobster pots. Repetition creates chaotic chain which is then embellished with simple vivid discs of colour inspired by washed up buoys.
Further Images
Earrings
Bangles, stainless steel
Buoy Earrings orange
Iconic colours from the landscape of Skye are transferred and weathered onto these statement buoy earrings. Gorse yellow for the end of spring, sea green when the Mediterranean like seas appear in summer, and dreich grey for the winter.
Bouy Necklace and earrings
Capturing the greyer side of Skye, these necklaces depict those winter days where you can see the rain and mist sweep over the mainland and engulf the outer islands of Eigg and Rum.
Hangling gold plates silver and stainless steel earrings
One of the shapes found on the ever changing shorelines of Sleat has been transformed into this elegant earring. Hanging from an ‘afloat’ stud this stainless steel shape gives a great contrast to the highly polished silver.
Cluster Necklace
Stainless steel links form this necklace
Short Fankle with disc
Hand formed stainless steel links with a coloured disc
Small Washer studs
Small stainless steel washers with distressed colour
Buoy necklace
Stianless steel washer pendant on a short silver chain
Medium washer studs
Medium stainless steel washer studs
Extra Long fankle necklace
Small triangle links make up this long necklace
Caught in the Rope
This statement necklace represents the rogue buoys that get trapped in the discarded washed up fishermen's nets on the beaches of Skye.
Layers of stainless steel chain trap the statement weathered disc of colour.
Working Buoy Brooch
This statement brooch embodies the shape and colour of the iconic buoys that withstand the turbulent seas surrounding Skye. The circular grey a reminder of the ever present dark Atlantic.
Fankle Necklace
Meaning ?to entangle' this fankle necklace represents the tangled chaotic rope and debris that is found washed up on the beaches in Aird. Layers of stainless steel chain trap a disc coloured by the weather.
Summer Swell necklace & Stacking Creel bangles
This beautiful necklace encaptures the grace of the calm lapping waves of the summer sea. It can be worn loose or wrapped twice to create different shapes and lengths.
After each fishing trip the creels are stacked on the beaches, every day a new shape and pattern. These bangles illustrate this image as the shapes they create change with the movement of the body.