Esther Smith


Based in South Cornwall, Esther Smith takes inspiration from her beautiful natural surroundings and the goings on of coast and country. Her upbringing on the north coast of Scotland has also had a strong influence on the aesthetic qualities of her work. Whether it’s automata, metalwork or jewellery, each piece is unique and tells its own story.

Originally trained as a jeweller, in recent years Esther has extended her range of skills to include the crafts of small scale sculpture and automata. Esther loves to tell visual stories from the world around her and from tales of long ago. The moving parts in her automata really allow her to bring her pieces to life.

The automata are primarily made in copper and brass with occasional silver details. Esther also uses enamel, reclaimed tin and reclaimed or coppiced Cornish wood. Esther treats the metal with patination and oxidisation techniques to achieve turquoises, rich browns, reds and blacks. She also use leaf metal applications and varnishes to seal and add lustre. Each of her pieces is crafted entirely by hand so whilst she can reproduce similar items each piece will be entirely unique. Please bear this in mind when ordering work – good things take time.