Parmley and the Metalsmith
Making Sense of Humanity

I am delighted to share that Emily Smith and I will be hosting an exhibition at the Nutshell in Winchester in October – details below.

Emily aka The Metalsmith and I met at The Colour Factory in Winchester. She took up a small tiled studio in what was once the “ladies toilets” of the Park Keeper’s cottage and I was and am in the front studio that may have been the living room – when it rains I smell tobacco smoke.

Emily was a recent graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, and I immediately was drawn to her sensitive use of metal – to share the truths about the world we live in. I knew we would get on instantly. She is hard working and passionate about her art and how it can educate people for goodness and kindness. I feel the same way. We’re not interested in just creating pretty art or craft, we want to make a difference, and share our compassion, values and stories from our communities.

We soon came together to work on an exhibition of work under the title of Humanity. We previewed our first show at The Colour Factory in August 2022.

Soon afterwards we decided to call ourselves Parmley and The Metalsmith. I love that we sound like a rock band! In case you’re here and don’t know me, I’m married to a Parmley and Emily’s business name is The Metalsmith. We exhibited soon after at Handmade Oxford – the International Contemporary Craft Festival, which was a great way for us to showcase our skills and really focus on curating over the next few years. We have similar motifs in our drawings, e.g. children, boats and kites, there are themes of home, identity and belonging. Sometimes it’s a memory and other times it’s a tragedy or a twisted truth. But always a pull toward lightness and hope, even in the darkest of moments.

Whilst topics may have left front page news, they’re not “done”. Our art reminds our audience or educates our community. You may not be a leader, doctor, or feel like you can make an impact but there’s always a way to use the skills that you do have to help make this world a better place. People often think they don’t make a difference, but everyone has the capacity to contribute something, even something small and hopefully further down the road make a difference.

My Making Art Your Voice.

In response to the tragic way so many vulnerable people fly under the radar, I created a series of relief paintings that capture resilience, and hope, even in the smallest of corners. The project began in 2007 with “What becomes of the dreams of children?” The piece gained momentum when the already deprived community I lived in suffered the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. I returned to arm the new generation with a visual voice in sketchbook skills. I have donated my time teaching since then at the school. You can read more about this project in my blog here

Emily’s Make Jewellery Not War

Emily originally started her collection in 2015 with a strong desire to ‘do something’ after news of the Syrian Refugee Crisis emerged. In the years following, her technical skills developed throughout university, and she promised that she would return to the project. At the beginning of 2020, it had a new lease of life, motivated by an overwhelming array of different social issues. She produces a collection of little wearable sculptures that serve as a reminder to not only see the good in as much as possible, but also to be it. 10% of sales go to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Visit Emily’s website

Heads up to any of you reading this, please do let me know if you are coming and I will give you a special one-to-one tour of the show. Emily and I will be at the Nutshell every day to meet and talk about our practice.

Exhibition: ‘Parmley & The Metalsmith’
‘Making Sense of Humanity’
24th – 29th October 2026
10am–4pm
The Nutshell Theatre, 15 Kings Walk, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8AF

‘Making Sense of Humanity’ is an exhibition showcasing the lens through which we see the world – the things we hold dear, the things we desperately wish to change, the things that pique our curiosity and feed our creativity.

There will be a selection of paintings, drawings, relief paintings, metal work wall pieces and jewellery/sculptures.