Originally from Lincoln, Nadine was a mature student who had previously completed a two year foundation course in general art and design in Lincoln when she was twenty. Nadine remembers that when she did the two weeks trying everything on foundation, the metal work was what she wanted to do. Although looking back Nadine feels she was pushed towards jewellery, and says;“if you wanted to do metal work it was assumed you wanted to do jewellery and that was pushed. I think it was the wrong decision to be honest.”

Nadine came to London to do Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martins but she says the bright lights of the city caught her eye and she had a fantastic time but only spent one week on the course because; “they wanted me to make broaches, I wasn’t interested in that. The course has change so much in the last 18 years. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the stuff that they are producing now a days. The first project we had was make a broach, and I thought, oh my god my gran wears broaches, I wanted to do things that wrapped around your arm and came over your head and went argh, never a broach. I always regretted not doing it and I knew I wanted to do art but obviously jewellery wasn’t the thing.”

Over the years Nadine has done many different jobs but has always had a passion for making and thinks she has always been aware of it, crediting her Mothers positive influence:

“My mum … used to do ceramics as a hobby but she had three small children so she never got the chance to do it full time. She’s been a suppressed artist all her life and from being eight or nine I’ve always been aware of it, with my mum doing night classes and things like that.”

Asked if there were any key influences on her decision to study, or not to study craft subjects Nadine replied;
“definitely my mum. When I was interested in doing art she was so thrilled and so supportive. And to go back to study my partner. I’ve always regretted not doing it when I was younger but I think now was the right time. Yeah, my mum and my partner.”

And how did Nadine come to find Artist Blacksmithing?

“I knew I wanted to do something with art but didn’t know what. I saw an advert for a course at Flag Fen, the prehistoric village up in Peterborough, and it was sword making and I thought that sounds really cool, I was working every weekend and I couldn’t do it. Anyway, I looked at the course and it was bronze sword casting, you melted the bronze, poured it into a mould, got it out and then polished it and I was really, really disappointed. I thought I don’t want to do that, I want to hit it with a hammer and heat it up and get it hot and argh, I thought oh god, I was really, really excited by that and maybe I should look into it.

Hereford has the only Blacksmithing degree in the country. I went there for an open day and got told that I needed some experience, so I went for a day, spent most of my week’s wages on a day with a blacksmith in Lincolnshire and really, really enjoyed it. He does short courses and I went back to the interview and I told them that if they didn’t take me I’d come back every year until they told me to get lost. I said you’ll get sick of the sight of me, I will apply every year until you tell me to go away and accept me on the course.”

Having completed her degree Nadine considered what was the hardest thing about what she is doing?

“Physically doing it. It’s really, really physically hard. The designing is difficult and it’s soul wrenching, in the crits it really is so heart wrenching. But really physically making the work is really, really hard work.”

And what are Nadine’s plans?

“I’m setting up a business doing artists blacksmithing. I’m going to apply for a business loan and I’ve already started looking at some workshops fairly locally, start buying equipment.”

After such a journey what advice would Nadine have for anyone wanting to do this course?

“Go for it, it’s fantastic. It will make you cry with frustration and it will make you cry with joy. You’ve got to be willing to put in hard work because it is very hard work. The hours are long and then you’re expected to do homework as well, as with all arts courses but it is really physically demanding and if you’re not willing to put in a lot of commitment and a lot of effort then it’s not the course for you but if you are, god it’s so rewarding and so fantastic.”

What did Nadine think was the most important influence on students choosing craft subjects?

“I think probably, it’s the feel good factor is the wrong phrase but it’s whether it makes you feel good. I think you need to be passionate about it.”

The product or the process?

“Both, if you don’t enjoy doing it, whether it’s ceramics or textiles, if you don’t enjoy the physical process then I don’t think you can do it long enough to get a good product. So I think both but probably more the actual making, you’ve got to enjoy it.”