Interview - Sacre Coeur

Dotted with Hearts got to interview the very talented Tea of Sacre Coeur!

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself and Sacre Coeur

Well, my name is Tea and I am an artist, designer, taxidermist and occasional model. I own and single-handedly run Sacré Coeur full-time from my home studio. Sacré Coeur was born from my inability to find the sort of accessories I wanted for myself either in the shops or online. What initially seemed like the perfect way to accessorise my own wardrobe soon became a business idea when people started showing an interest in my work with a view to buying it for themselves. So, it was officially created in 2006 and catered for contacts and friends offline originally while I studied for my degree... then in 2008 I launched it online and it has been going from strength to strength ever since!


Q. Where in the world are you based?

I am based in Hertfordshire, UK. Conveniently, I am only 25 minutes away from central London so that works rather well!


Q. What made you start creating jewelery & wearable art?

As I mentioned, I had difficulty finding the sorts of accessories I wanted for myself initially. I think a lot of designers would admit that this was a driving force behind their endeavours! I like to have something a bit different and I like to be able to accessorise my outfits according to my mood. Most of what I make is black so I'm not sure what that says about my and my mood really!! Basically, I wanted to bring something a bit different to the table and try my hand at new techniques that I wouldn't usually use in my art. I view my life as one big experiment really... I like to try new things and play with them until I find something that works. Most of the things I do that I am most passionate about are self-taught. So, to sum up, gaps in my wardrobe and my insatiable desire to learn are probably what started it all off!

Q. What are your favourite pieces to make?

It's hard to choose! I love sewing, so fabric and leather collars are my favourites out of all I think. I do love messing about with old watches though... I go into mad scientist mode when I've got loads of watches to play with, I can usually be found hunched over my desk with lamps and magnifiers, tweezers and clamps etc all over my desk, painstakingly dissecting tiny mechanisms and piecing them back together like some sort of little clockwork Frankenstein! Saying that, my cameo designs have been a labour of love for the last few months so I love making those too as it's so satisfying seeing my own hand carved designs translated into resin and applied to cute necklaces, rings and other bits and pieces!


Q. What are your most popular items?

To date I would say the most popular items were my pocket watch collage pendants. They sold out earlier this year and I am still on the lookout for suitable old timepieces with which to make a new run of them. The cameo stuff is catching up quick though!

Q. As detailed on your website, you trained as a taxidermist, what interested you in this subject?

Well, having always been fascinated by animals and nature, I was fixated by taxidermy from a very young age. I am lucky enough to live very close to Tring Zoological Museum which houses an enormous collection of specimens from the Victorian era onwards. I imagine it was probably something to do with the fact that I could get close enough to animals like lions, tigers, rhinos and weird and wonderful birds and fish to properly inspect their every last detail without it either running away or killing me! The fascination remained and when I was studying biology at uni, I decided to start learning. I found a master taxidermist in Wales who was willing to teach me, went and spent a few days with him and his wife and came back with enough of a foundation to continue teaching myself. I'm still very much a beginner now in my opinion... it'll take many many years of working consistently to even come close to matching some of the work I've seen over the years. It takes incredible skill and patience to realistically recreate a living creature.


Q. Who or what is your inspiration?

My main inspirations are the natural world, history and, to an extent, the occult. Whereas the former two are quite evident in my work, I would say the latter inspires me very subtly, I think you'd be hard pressed to find any signs or symbols of occultism in any of my work to date... I draw mainly from the symbolism of certain animals and colours etc.


Q. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years time?

Definitely still running Sacré Coeur full-time, earning a decent living from it and developing my skills in taxidermy further. My long term ambition is to eke out a career for myself as an artist/designer and continue along that path for the rest of my life.


Links:

Official Website: http://www.sacre-coeur.co.uk/
Bigcartel Shop: http://www.sacrecoeur.bigcartel.com/
Etsy Shop: http://www.sacrecoeur.etsy.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/paradisaea
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacre-Coeur-Jewellery-AdornmentsParadisaea-Decora/116737658354001?ref=ts&v=info