Vessels in progress, 2022. I work with metal to create both decorative and functional objects. I explore the different qualities of silver, copper and brass to create mixed metal objects and jewellery. Read below what I love most about each of these metals. I first worked with metal when I was at art college in Lincoln over 20 years ago! I was making a box out of wood and used some copper sheet to create metal inserts on the box sides. I bent the copper to create lines in it and then heated it…this was my WOW moment when the copper turned all the colours of the rainbow. I proceeded to look fo ..read more

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The value of a professional photographer For this project I wanted a few things from the photoshoot, some quality shots of my patination samples, some work in progress shots and a new maker profile image (my last one is 10 years old), . I take a lot of photos using my camera phone which is fine for everyday. However, sometimes the shot works better with me in it (not selfie style) and sometimes I need really high quality images. So I commissioned Scott Murray to come over to Sheffield for a whole day to take some photos Scott travelled over to Sheffield in July to take some shots and he captur ..read more

Process Recording different parts of the process through photography and film. Two vessels in progress, one copper and one silver.  Why make a film? A really important part of my practice is documenting and reflecting on the processes I use and the pieces I make. For this project I wanted to give context to my practice and learn from my own process, which I have chosen to do with the help of film maker Fern Scott. The idea is to have a professional film interspersed with footage captured by me using a helmet camera. I explored filming my own making process several years ago when I was stu ..read more

Back to School! At the beginning of April I was delighted to finally take myself up north to the Scottish Borders for a 3 day hammer raising workshop with Adrian Hope. I have wanted to do this for such a long time so was fully prepared to work hard and learn as much as possible and I was not disappointed. The value in what I learnt in those 3 days is immeasurable, I haven’t had any formal tuition since graduating from Uni in 2006. Just being in this space and talking to someone with such a wealth of knowledge, you learn things that you cant read in books or view on Youtube! The Workshop The w ..read more

What is this all about? If you are familiar with my work you will know that I have regularly worked with hammered and chemically oxidised (blackened) surfaces. I have often felt limited by this due to feeling slightly uneasy experimenting with and using too many chemicals. I am now on the fascinating journey of finding safer and more sustainable ways of working to create the beautiful surfaces that I love.  Developing Your Creative Practice - patination. The first element of my ACE funded project is researching non-toxic patination techniques followed by a series of my own experiments ..read more

For as long as I can remember I have made things, as a child this was encouraged but also often necessary. I only learned about the broader value of making things when I started studying a practical course. At school I wasn’t academic; my brain isn’t wired for remembering and regurgitating information, but I was always more engaged when there was a practical element. Copper bowls, 2020. Copper bowls hammered from flat sheet. Image by Scott Murray. Thinking through making I am a big believer in learning through making, and it makes sense that the more you practice the same techniques or work ..read more

One pot, 2020. Single decorative copper vessel, oxidised and hammered. Image by Melissa Montague. First of all, I don’t have a definitive answer to this question but I have thought about it a lot during my adult life and in my creative practice. I guess it all started with my realisation that I am a bit of a hoarder of useless things….we’ll come back to that in another post! When I began designing metal objects I was determined to create functional pieces. What I didn’t realise was that function can mean many things that pertain to an object fulfilling its purpose rather than it having to be ..read more