Cara states: "Being able to transform a piece from an idea in your head into a finished product is a very satisfying personal achievement. I believe that for an object to reach its full potential, drawing in its broadest sense is an essential part of the design process."
When Cara was asked to make the commission for Queen’s she visited the Great Hall at Queen's University and spoke with staff, researching both Queen's history in general and the historical reference of sitting ‘above the salt and below the salt' in particular.
The idea of sitting 'above' or 'below' the salt is a phrase which has its origins in the use of salt at the medieval food table. Here salt (an expensive and rare commodity of the time) was placed at the centre of the table. Above the salt sat the family and intimates of the household, below the salt sat the servants and dependants.
Initial drawings of plants and the outside environment inspired the idea of creating a piece, which would 'grow' from the table, an idea which forms a central theme in Cara's work of creating a 'landscape of tableware'.
Cara uses a wide variety of drawing techniques to determine the final design. Cara states: "I think three dimensionally. I therefore create 'drawings' in the workshop - sometimes using card, sometimes using base metals, sometimes using silver - I can then use these to visualize how the design will evolve. These 'drawings' allow me to critically look at dimensions and subtleties of the work and develop it further. Nothing is ever finalized until the piece leaves the workshop."
The drawings on this page give an awareness into the working process of a practicing silversmith and allow an insight into the processes involved in the creation of Seed Heads.
