ALISON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR and SILVERSMITH of Canberra based Alison Jackson

Celebrating 10 years in the silversmith biz – we congratulate and applaud 2018 stallholder Alison Jackson for both her incredible craftsmanship & for sharing her beautiful pieces with us at Finders Keepers! Delicate yet practical, her tableware and jewellery collections are a must-see at Finders Keepers in Sydney this weekend – there will be something for the Christmas list we guarantee!

A must-read for both Christmas-list-making and also for some handy tips on being a successful stallholder! 

Alison Jackson is celebrating 10 years of business this year, Congrats! We first interviewed your label in 2014 here. Tell us how you’ve evolved as a label since then.

Thank you! We’ve been very busy since then with so many projects, and the time has certainly whizzed by! We moved workshops into a lovely light-filled space in a creative artist complex a little over a year ago, and we’re now preparing to move again in the new year – but this time to our permanent home next to our house – we can’t wait!
We’ve dedicated quite a bit of time to developing both our jewellery and tableware collections over the last few years. Both have grown quite a lot and we have some new pieces that will be added in the new year.
As we don’t design for seasons or have new collections every year, we are quite considered in the pieces we add to our collections. We create each piece to not only be true to our aesthetic but to stand the test of time and last for many years to come, whether it be a jewellery piece or a tableware piece. It’s often quite a process in the background to design and develop new work – it can take over a year to see a new design come to fruition.
Outside of our jewellery and tableware collections we’ve worked on some pretty amazing projects of a larger than usual scale – we’ve designed and installed several art installations and undertaken some wonderful commissions for national institutions.

Jewellery collection – handmade and designed by Alison Jackson

Cheese Toolst – handmade and designed by Alison Jackson. Image credit Anisa Sabe

Chain Necklaces – handmade and designed by Alison Jackson

What has been some highlights for Alison Jackson over the 10 years?

Oh, that is a hard one! If we take a trip down memory lane, there are a few moments that really stand out. Taking the leap to work full time in my business has to be a big one. Every day I get to walk into our workshop space and know that everything here is here because of the huge effort and love for what I do. I simply can’t imagine doing anything else and I’m so proud of where the brand is today. I still get a smile on my face when I walk into our workshop knowing it’s what I created.

Being selected as one of twelve silversmiths to exhibit in Germany not long out of art school is a huge highlight, not only for that itself but for the sort of snowball of events and opportunities it’s led to in the years since.

Little Spoons – handmade and designed by Alison Jackson. Image credit Anisa Sabe

Big Spoons – handmade and designed by Alison Jackson. Image credit Anisa Sabe

XO jewellery – handmade and designed by Alison Jackson

What would be one piece of advice you would give a first-time seller at The Finders Keepers? Is there a Finders Keepers designer who you admire?

Think about not only the products you’re selling but how you display them to your customers. It’s so easy to leave it to the last minute, but a great looking stand will entice your customer to come and have a closer look! Set aside time to design your stand so it isn’t stressful at the last minute – sometimes just a pop of colour can really transform your props and make you stand out.

Alison in her workshop. Image Credit Andy Mullens

Alison Jackson workshop. Image Credit Andy Mullens

Alison in her workshop. Image Credit Andy Mullens

What goals do you have for your business over the next five years?

At the moment we’re really focused on designing our new workshop space and getting organised to move in the new year, it’s a big task! But once we’re all settled we want to focus on expanding our Tableware Collection to include some new pieces – both cutlery and objects. And start to develop and explore new ideas for a solo exhibition in the next few years.

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Dan working on tableware in the Alison Jackson Workshop. Image Credit Tim Bean

Tableware designs in progress in the Alison Jackson Workshop. Image Credit Tim Bean