Anne Finlay was born in Wick in Scotland; she studied at the Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, where she was taught by Eric Spiller, a pioneer in the use of plastic for jewellery. She developed the use of plastic of different types, although she also experimented with anodised aluminium, silver and resins. Much of her work in the Collection is constructed from sheets of polyester film stamped out with dyes, scored, folded and glued, combining plain colours with patterns; concentrating on the interplay of geometric shapes, whilst others are made from materials such as PVC, stainless steel and acrylics, with laser cut components.
Throughout her career Anne Finlay has used non-precious materials, geometric shapes, colour and pattern. Whilst in the past she worked mainly with plastics, her current interest is with paper, a beautiful, natural material with limitless possibilities for creativity. Using strips of corrugated cardboard, which are layered, she creates strong, bold, three-dimensional blocks of colour and pattern. The strips lend themselves to the exploration of curves, which she has incorporated within a range of brooches and neckpieces. Finlay also explores textile based wrapping techniques that give rise to softer, less structured forms made from paper yarn.
