Holly Belsher

Ever since I was little and we had a “Nature Table” at school, I loved trees, twigs, leaves and seedpods. Horse Chestnuts’ sticky buds, Ash with dramatic black buds. Curious Plane tree pompoms and Beech Mast, dropped from trees in the playground. The seasonal excitement of Conkers and their cases, with velvety pithy insides, waxy conkers and vicious outer spikes - a sensory feast.

More recently when I moved back to Devon, I was fascinated by the deep lanes with hedges and trees growing out of “Devon Banks”, they look soft, covered in grass, wild Strawberries, Violets and Primroses, but hide the local stone underneath. Some of them are estimated to be a thousand years old.

I took some small twigs and cast them in Silver, dropped them on the floor so they fell in random patterns. I soldered them together to make brooches and earrings echoing the tangle of the hedges, adding the odd leaf in Silver and 18ct gold.

Image: Joel Degen.