Lisa Carroll
Silversmith Lisa’s creative journey began with a course at The Goldsmith School almost 14 years ago, but life as a mum and business owner quickly got in the way.
Her silversmithing tools had been lying dormant in a cupboard for a number of years when she unearthed them again during the pandemic.
Lisa's creations regularly feature opals.
My creative space is...
A long bench tucked away in the corner of my garage. It is a jumbled concoction of silver, solder, tools, gemstones and files! I like to think of it as a magical mess. Well, that’s while I’m working. When I walk away at the end of a session creating everything must be clean and tidy ready for the next day and new ideas.
Inspiration from my art comes from...
everywhere & everything! Nature, conversations with interesting people, listening to podcasts, looking at art, being out on the opal fields. Sometimes the gemstones themselves are my inspiration. It is almost like I can sense how they want to be set and showcased in a piece of jewellery. This is especially true of opals. I have a deep connection with them because I’m often there helping to unearth them at our opal mine in Lightening Ridge.
The last piece I created…
was an opal necklace. It was a gift for a beautiful lady whose husband wanted to surprise her on her birthday. He spent a lot of time going through our collection of opals to choose one he felt was just right for her.
My art is unique because…
my hands are involved in every part of the process. With my opal jewellery I help find the stones and then I design the piece and create it. Outside of opals I source most of my stones from small businesses, usually ones where a whole family is involved and I strive to make sure every aspect of the process is as ethical & sustainable as possible. I love to learn the stories behind each stone, where they have come from and who found them and I feel like these stories are embedded in the finished piece.
My favourite tool for creating is...
a file that I absolutely love. Every single piece of jewellery I make has been shaped by it. My imagination is also the best tool ever!
The reason I became an artist…
Art runs through my veins, I can not imagine a life where I am not creating something. My passion for silversmithing was ignited when I was gifted my grandmother’s opal cutting machine. Memories of childhood and watching my grandparents unearth beautiful treasures in their opal mine lit a fire inside of me that became too loud to ignore.
Words that inspire me...
‘Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.’ Howard Thurman
Explore Lisa's jewellery brand Wild Roses for Mae
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