On alternate materials

Paul speaks about his ongoing interest in the use of alternate materials.

"I first began using alternate materials in the early 1980s while studying at Sheridan College's School of Crafts and Design (SOCAD). By 1982 the price of gold had soared to well over a thousand dollars an ounce and the precious metals had been placed well beyond the reach of my student budget.

Alternatives to the traditional palette of platinum, gold and silver were sourced at surplus electronics dealers, aluminum siding suppliers and the like. Industrial materials, including rubber, plastics and paper, offered unlimited potential for use in jewellery and opened up many opportunities for personal expression.

My interest in such nontraditional materials still leads me to consider ultra-bright LEDs and light reactive materials for inclusion in current bodies of work."