Graduation.

Well it looks like we've come to an end of a busy and exciting chapter and are just about to embark on a new one. This week, we graduated, had our first exhibition and sold some pieces. It was tiring but exhilarating all in one. Especially when a total stranger (not a friend or family member!) decides to part with some cold hard cash because they like what you've made. Its a nice little validation of the time spent in the last year, especially if you're John and everything sells out.

My little space at the Exhibition

I didn't do too badly out of it myself, having managed to sell some pieces and score a commission which will keep me busy over the next couple of weeks to boot. Especially since I seemed to have spent most of my time at the Exhibition accosted by lots of nice old biddies who wanted to reminisce about their time growing up in Malaya!

So long buddies...

I'm not usually one for the soppy stuff but I've met some really lovely and interesting people over the last year, and will miss everyone when we've all packed up and left. I would certainly be remiss if I didn't shout out a big thank you to the tutors (especially Sandy) - who'd have thunk I'd get this far in a year? Not without lots of help certainly!

I think I'm going to take a wee break now whilst I work out the next phase. In the meantime, here's a spanking new website courtesy of the lovely Peter Roberts:
www.madebymae.com

Watch this space!

Tim Stead.

Last Friday we went on a visit to the late (and some say, great) Tim Stead's workshop and home. Now unless you are a woodworker, I would presume you are unlikely to have heard of him before now. I certainly had no idea who he was before this year, and he doesn't even have a wikipedia entry. Described as a wood artist and sculptor, he is famous for a signature style which involves lots of burr (mostly elm), waney edges and chunky arts & crafts style furniture. One of his more famous works is the Millenium Clock (in collaboration with Edouard Bersudsky, Annica Sandström and Jurgen Tübbecke), currently exhibited at the Royal Museum in Edinburgh. Whether you're a fan of his or not, he is certainly a man who had vision, and built his entire home in the same signature style.

The best description that I've heard to sum it all up is that he had a terrible attack of "wooditis" when he was working on it. Its not what I would subscribe to myself (it reminds me of Frankenstein meets Transylvania), but there were a couple of pieces here and there that I did like and it certainly made for an interesting visit.

Tim's living room (picture courtesy of http://www.timsteadfurniture.co.uk)

Waney-edged burr elm used as the top of a bed canopy

 Signature Tim Stead chairs

Now, seeing as to how I will be staying on in the workshop for another month, I've come to that stage in the creative process where I need to come up with a couple more designs, or at least know what I'm going to make next. I've been toying with the idea of making some space invader bedside cabinets/shelves - if anyone is interested in commissioning/sponsoring these or any other piece of furniture, please do get in touch!
Ta

Catch-up.

A signature inflection

A multitude of woods

This week is catch-up week, which means time to catch up on unfinished projects and/or start new ones  of course! There is some scrambling in the workshop as exhibition draws near and people try to finish a myriad of pieces in time for the exhibition. But the burst of good weather has also tempered the frenetic activity as we all try to make the most of the 5 days of sunshine we will have this summer.

Now in the course of the last 8 months of so, I've managed to squirrel away lots of little bits of wood under my desk - bits too pretty to throw away or rescued from the off-cuts bin. I've made a couple of wee chopping boards out of these, but there are really only so many of those that one household needs, and I've been struggling for some time to think of a good use to put them to. A while back, I toyed with making an entire piece out of off-cuts, but this got lost somewhere along the way. This week though, Sandy and Ewan very handily reminded me of the potential of these pretty pieces of wood, and since I had a spare table frame lying about, well the story just about writes itself. With the application of many clamps, some glue and lots of sanding - viola, a pretty little side table was born.

I've also decided to embark on a new project this week - building some bedside cabinets for my sister for her birthday. By the time I finish the course, I suspect her lovely house will be operating as a gallery/show room for my work!

One final update for this week - the secret project has been completed and unveiled to the intended recipient. Patrick, my first client proper, was well pleased with the end result, which makes me feel super chuffed! I am even more pleased that this piece that I have built with my own hands is going to a good home and one I get to visit from time to time too!

Tron enjoying the sunshine

Tron, the mighty robot