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My name is Louise Hibbert and I have been a professional maker, designing and creating intricate boxes, handheld sculptures, mills and jewellery out of wood, plastic and metal since I left the university in 1994.

I love collaborating with other makers.  My most recent pieces have been with paper artist Chloe Augusta Needham.  We have created some moth lamps together – the bodies of the moths made by me in wood and metal and the beautifully intricate wings by Chloe.  Some of my earliest collaborations have been with Sarah Parker-Eaton, a jeweller based in Bedfordshire, England. These have been really fun and helped to develop both of our individual careers. I am also excited to have started a range of hand-fabricated jewellery made from gold, silver, copper and resin.

Another more recent project has been the development of Cawdaw, with my friend Sharon Perry, which has taken me in even more new directions.  It’s always been important to me to keep learning new skills and this is certainly doing that.  Our goal is to produce a range of high quality, enduring products for the home that are environmentally friendly, ethical and ultimately easily recyclable.

I grew up near Southampton, England and have always been into making things.  I studied 3D design in wood, metal, ceramics and plastics at Brighton University in England before going on to become a full-time professional maker. I moved to North Wales, which is a beautiful area, and then moved to Virginia, USA for 7 years after a 2 month residency in Philadelphia.  I have now returned to Wales where I continue to create nature inspired pieces that I exhibit in Galleries and shows around the world and sell on Etsy.com.

I have a small shed that I built in my garden where I work, which has a wonderful view down to the village promenade, the Menai Straights and Puffin Island. I still use a 1959 Wadkin Bursgreen lathe that I love, a faithful companion that I bought second-hand when I started and who travelled with me to the States and back!

I have been fortunate enough to be included in a number of public collections and now have work in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Art Museum. I have also been featured in numerous publications and books including most recently Intersection: Art & Life, by Kevin Wallace and  New Masters of the Wooden Box by Oscar Fitzgerald.

I love trying new things and constantly push myself in terms of designs and techniques. I am constantly seeking new inspiration for my work in books, museums, on the internet and in the wild. I love microscopic creatures, marine life, beetles, bugs, seeds – particularly the weird and wonderful! Basically anything in the natural world that intrigues and delights me with its form, texture or color and allows me to remind people what a wonderful world we live in and how important it is to look after it.