Amanda Coleman has been making and designing her unique style of jewellery since graduating from the Royal College of Art, London in 1998.
She uses the photo-polymer film I sell to etch into metals the intricate designs she first draws on paper. She is currently based in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

See Amanda's work in the Gallery.

Sally Dyas: When did you first start using photo etching?
Amanda Coleman: I first started using photo-etching whilst studying at the Royal College of Art for my Masters (Sept 1996 - June 1998). Prior to that I had been using more conventional etching techniques which I had learned whilst studying for my degree (Sept 1992 - June 1995). This involved using black stopping out liquid that I would paint on and scratch designs into which was very laborious, time consuming and not very accurate. I had heard about photo-etching and I specifically wanted to do a masters so I could learn more about it and apply it to my work.

Sally Dyas: What were your first impressions of the process of photo-etching?
Amanda Coleman: My first impressions were not very good ones! I was initially taught over a two day period by someone who was specifically brought into the college to show a group of us how to use the technique. After two days no one had managed to get the process to work - the images weren't coming out very well and the film was not adhering to the metal. Later we found out that it was the first time the tutor had used the film (she had previously been using a spray) and she had instructed us to put it on the wrong way round.
However, I was not deterred by these initial setbacks and still persisted in developing a way to use the technique. I remember it took many weeks to work out things like the best exposure times and the most effective way to etch the metal with the tanks and chemicals that were available to me.
Once I had sorted out all these problems I did have a very productive time producing samples, models and tests for pieces of jewellery. I also started using a computer to produce the artwork for the photo tools so I was able to work very speedily - which was my original aim in learning the technique.

Sally Dyas: How well did the photo etching process integrate with the skills you already had?
Amanda Coleman: By using photo-etching I had to change the way I had previously been working. I had always created three dimensional forms and etched into them. With photo-etching this was not possible as it could only be used to etch flat sheets (although one day I may work out a way to photo-etch forms). As my work was exploring form and structure I had to devise a way of building three dimensional forms from a two dimensional sheet.
On the other hand I found that photo-etching integrated well with my general jewellery making skills. It made life much easier as all the components were etched out rather than having to make them individually by hand and I could use the traditional jewellery skills to put the pieces together.

Sally Dyas: After you completed your Masters at the Royal college how did you approach photo-etching when you no longer had access to their resources?
Amanda Coleman:To start off with I used a company to etch lots of components for me which I could easily put together in my workshop. Fortunately, after a few months I received a Crafts Council setting up grant which paid for half of the costs of my equipment and I had a loan from The Prince's Trust which paid for the rest. I also bought a cheap etching tank, a pump and a light box.
In my workshop I made a kind of tent out of black-out material around a bench, this served as my darkroom and I boxed off and tiled an area of my benches, next to the window, where I placed the tank and did all my etching. It was a bit make shift and cramped - especially the dark room - but it worked.

Sally Dyas: Have you found that the process informs your ideas? Or are your ideas simply made more realisable with the process?
Amanda Coleman:The original theme of my work was looking at form and structure - the idea that everything around us is made up of many smaller parts. This could be trees made up of leaves, flowers made of petals, right down to atomic structures. I specifically wanted to learn how to photo-etch in order to produce my work - I don't think it would have been possible otherwise.
My work has now developed so that I make more wearable, everyday jewellery but still based on tiny figurative imagery. Because the work is more commercial the process enables me to make many pieces at once, helping to keep costs down. Originally I did want to use photo-etching to help in the creation of my ideas but now the design and the process tend to work hand in hand. Now while I'm designing I have half my brain on how to produce the work as efficiently as possible.

Sally Dyas: How do you anticipate your approach to the process changing?
Amanda Coleman: More recently I have started to combine photo-etching with other techniques such as casting, which adds a different dimension to the work. Even after working with photo-etching for 8 years I am still discovering ways to improve the results, especially when it comes to etching thicker metal and keeping fine surface patterns. I have many ideas of new possibilities to use the process - it's just a matter of finding the time to do them all!