boxes

Coed Coexist Exhibition at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw

I’m excited to share that my piece Coleoptera Fagaceae will finally be part of the Coed Coexist exhibition at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Llanbedrog, Pwllheli on the Llŷn Peninsula (@plasglynyweddw) from 16 May to 12 July 2026.

Initiated by Plas Glyn-y-Weddw in partnership with Pen Llŷn artists Junko Mori (@junkomori44) & John Egan (@making_little), the project reflects on the vital role of trees and woodlands and our connections to and responsibilities for these ecosystems.

Over 80 artists have been given wood from a beech tree that fell on the gallery’s grounds and this exhibition is wonderful celebration of everything that has been created by them from it’s wood.

Plas Glyn-y-Weddw is the oldest in Wales. It is a really beautiful place if you’ve never visited before and the drive to it across the Llŷn is always stunning!

Opening event: 16 May 11am – 5pm. All are welcome, with activities throughout the day.


Creating the Coleoptera Fagaceae Box

When I first received the piece of beech wood, I couldn’t help but think of the tree it had come from – reflecting on its long life, and all of the creatures it had nurtured throughout its living years.

Revered as the Queen of the Forest, the beech tree is a cornerstone of wonderful diversity, a vital habitat to a vast range of species, from birds and mammals to invertebrates, lichens, mosses, and fungi. So it seemed only fitting to transform some of its beautiful timber into a beetle box, to celebrate the deep connections between the tree and the myriad forms of flora and fauna it has sustained, while preserving its memory for future generations.

Clay Barn Summer Exhibition

I’m very happy to be showing again at Louise Darby’s beautiful studio again this weekend 5th-8thJune 2015.  I hope the weather improves as she has a lovely garden and it would be better enjoyed in sunshine!  I’ll be showing some of my new Coleoptera boxes as well as my kitchen range of mills etc.  I just hope I manage to finish some of the mills I’ve got in production at the moment as I think I caught a cold from my niece Hannah who was up visiting last weekend with my sister Judith and nephew Joe.  We had a great weekend and even made it up Snowdon for the first time with the help of my partner Mark, but the cold brings on my asthma which doesn’t mix very well with sawdust!  Anyway, I digress…inviteinvite 2

Calosoma Box

New Beetles for Ruthin

In July this year I started designing some new coleoptera inspired boxes for my show coming up at Ruthin Craft Centre – a beautiful gallery in North Wales.  The show is called ‘Is it Wood’ and is curated by Mary La Trobe Bateman OBE (who used to be the director of Contemporary Applied Arts).  Other artists include:

Peter Archer / Fred Baier / Dail Behennah / Roger Bennett / Chatwin : Martin / Eleanor Glover / Nicola Henshaw / Eleanor Lakelin / Lina Peterson / Anthony Roussel / Sophie Smallhorn / Wycliffe Stutchbury / Rupert Williamson

Bringing together 14 unique makers, who through their innovative and original ideas, challenge our traditional perceptions of wood.

I hope this colourful exhibition challenges traditional ideas about working with wood.
I hope it causes some surprises.
I hope it counters the response to so much work that is handmade in wood by inviting the visitor to look beyond the surface and the skill of the making to see the original ideas and innovations of each individual artist.
And I hope that the exhibition is enjoyable!

Mary La Trobe-Bateman, Curator.

You can find out more about the show at Ruthin Craft Centre  It runs until Nov 30th 2014.