exhibitions

The Coronation Muscinae Capsule

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This piece was recently made for the latest Worshipful Company of Turners’ biennial turning exhibition which took place on the 18th – 19th October 2023 at Pewterers’ Hall, London.

New for this year was a Master’s Exhibition, selected by invitation only. This exhibition aspired to showcase the finest woodturning in the UK, and had leading artists providing for the first time, an exciting and diverse display of turned artwork, using sustainable or reclaimed British timber.

The theme for this year was Coronation, which we were able to interpret in any manner we wished, whilst being respectful of the Worshipful Company of Turners’ core values and long-established Royal Charter.

The Coronation Muscinae Capsule

My piece was inspired by King Charles’ Coronation and his life long interests in environmental issues and the natural world, which I am also incredibly passionate about. The box was very challenging, particularly as it was the first time I had soldered silver on this scale, but I was really happy with the finished piece despite the struggle!

The form originates from Muscinae – the original scientific name for mosses – the oldest land plants on earth at 450 million years. It echoes the mosses seed capsule, and the piece contains seeds from the Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil, Northern Ireland’s shamrock and English rose, unifying the flora of the four nations of the Untied Kingdom.

The colouring of the body of the piece represents King Charles’ use of his grandfather King George VI Coronation robes with ermine trim in his bid to be more sustainable. It is painted with milk paint, an eco-friendly finish that has been used for thousands of years.

The capsule’s lid symbolises the St. Edward’s crown with it’s precious metals and purple velvet. The original crown was thought to be silver and date back to the eleventh century saint Edward the Confessor (as seen on the Bayeux Tapestry), before it was melted in during the English Civil War in 1649 and remade in gold by the Royal Goldsmith, Robert Vyner in 1661.

Eco-friendly materials were used throughout, including the peristome made from recycled silver and a gold ball created from my grandmother’s wedding ring, and responsibly sourced English sycamore. The silver was hallmarked at the Goldsmith’s Company Assay Office with the extra Coronation Commemorative mark. The sycamore cap was coloured with sustainably produced Lucea organic plant based watercolour paint, ground from logwood giving it a beautiful subtle purple shade, embellished with water-based resin dots.

English sycamore, recycled sterling silver, recycled 18ct gold, stainless steel, rubber, recycled paper, seeds (daffodil, thistle, dog rose, clover) and milk paint, organic plant based logwood watercolour and resin.

19cm length x 6.5cm wide £1950 + shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing – thank you!

Clay Barn 40th Anniversary

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I will be back exhibiting at Louise Darby’s Clay Barn again this year from the 9th – 11th June 2023!

It will be her 40th Anniversary of opening her studio to the public, with other invited artists, and sadly the last year that it will happen. It’s always a lovely show to do down near Startford-upon-Avon, and hopefully this amazing weather will continue this weekend as Louise hopes to have musicians playing in her beautiful garden.

I have been making new mills for the show and amongst other work will also be exhibiting my moth lamps, made in collaboration with Chlöe Augusta Needham.

We welcome all visitors to join us for tea, nibbles and a wonderful range of art and craft!

Parking is at the Stag Pub – B49 6NQ.

Form/Content POP Exhibition

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My Radiolarian Vessel IX is about to be auctioned at this years Amercian Association of Woodturners symposium in Louisville, Kentucky, USA on Saturday 3rd June 2023 at 13.30 (their time).

There is still time to bid online at https://auction.woodturner.org/AAW-Contemporary-Wood-Art-Auctions-2023_as89144

When I thought about the exhibiton theme Form/Content I decided to go back to a radiolarian as the starting point for this piece. The forms of these incredible microscopic sea creatures are so wonderful, and pieces I have created previously using their inspiration have pinpointed some important moments in my career, from the photographing of Radiolarian Vessel I by Tony Boase for his book, to the recent acquisition of Radiolarian Vessel VII by the Renwick Gallery.

The blue interior, or Content, represents the sea – so fundamental and precious to our life on Earth and the lives of these beautiful organisms.

The piece is turned and carved from rippled English walnut. It has a pierced sterling silver insert and has been painted with acrylic paint in the interior. It is 15cm across.

Renwick Exhibition

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I realised that it’s been a while since I posted and that I’d forgotten to add my exciting news about having two of my pieces selected for the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Art Museum in Washington, USA! They are now currently part of the exhibition at the Renwick called ‘This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World and will be on show until 2nd April 2023.

At the end of 2020 I was contacted by wood collectors Judy Chernoff and Jeffrey Bernstein. They told me that having lived and loved their collection for many years they had decided they would like to donate some of their pieces to the Renwick’s permanent collection. After several years of discussion with multiple curators, the current Renwick curators, Mary Savig and Nora Atkinson, were given the green light by the Smithsonian to begin the process of selecting objects from their collection, and two of my pieces were chosen – Radiolaria Vessel VII (2004) and Cinachyra Box (2000). As well as being very honoured that I was now part of such an important collection of craft, I was really happy and relieved that the pieces chosen were ones that I was still proud of. I was also very surprised as I had no idea who had bought these pieces when they were first exhibited in the USA. When you put your heart and soul into your pieces you always hope that they will go to a good home!

Unfortunately I was not able to make it to the opening but perhaps I will get a chance to visit them before the exhibition closes next year… At least I now have a copy of the beautiful catalogue that accompanied the show.

Wizardry in Wood 2021

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It’s the last day today of the 2021 Wizardry in Wood exhibition, normally held every four years by the Worshipful Company of Turners. I thought that I would be able to take part this year after it had been postponed from last year because of Covid but sadly I had to withdraw.

Like so many women I have been suffering with various symptoms that going through the menopause brings. It’s a very unpleasant time which throws up many challenges – particularly when it comes to trying to maintain your work levels. Not only have my energy levels and general mojo been down, my immune system has also been thrown out of wack and with Covid still very much with us I did not feel that it was a wise idea to travel to London and be at a show (hopefully) filled with people!

I did make a couple of sets of salt and pepper mills to send to the show which the organisers were kind enough to exhibit on their Bursary stand.

The pink and black mills were inspired by the beautiful Japanese magnolia trees, Magnolia Liliiflora. They began on a visit that I made to Bodnant Gardens in North Wales. This beautiful National Trust property is famous for its collections of plants from all around the world and among them are more than 500 magnolias. I love their large dramatic flowers graduating from a deep pink to white and so I used this as inspiration on the deeply carved sycamore base and top.

I also love the process of Shou Sugi Ban – the particularly striking method of preserving wood by charring which originated in Japan in the 18th century. Burning wood gives it a different softer black to colouring it with paints or dyes and accentuates the grain. So for the other mill base and top I scorched the surface of the turned elm and wire brushed it to bring out the beautiful three dimensional grain texture.

There is also a wonderful sunken pool surrounded by plants of all different purple hues which is one of my favourite parts of the garden. One of them is Osteospermum Purple Sun, with stunning flowers graduating out from purple to pink to yellow. The photos that I took of them led to this new second set of mills that I made for Wizardry in Wood. The bases of the mills are turned and carved before being airbrushed to match these vibrant colours, and the tops have a ‘blobbed’ texture to represent the centre of the flower.

I hope that all the other makers had a great show!

#wizardryinwood2021

National Eisteddfod Llanrwst 2019

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The National Eisteddfod of Wales will soon begin in Llanrwst, North Wales on the 2nd August 2019.
I have been having fun collaborating with paper artist Chloe Augusta Needham on some new Moth lamps and we were thrilled that these were selected to be exhibited at the Y Lle Celf – the Eisteddfod’s visual arts gallery.
It’s a great place to exhibit as it attracts 40,000 visitors during the course of the week!

Below are some work in progress photos of the new lamps – Moth II and Moth III that we have been working on that you will be able to see on show.

You can find out more information at https://eisteddfod.wales/yllecelf

New mills for Turnabout

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This is my latest salt and pepper mill design – a set inspired by the wonderful hand tinted botanical lithographs of the nineteenth century. They also pay homage to the exotic and extravagant interior of Brighton Pavillion, the seaside residence of King George IV.

I was making a piece for the upcoming all-woman show ‘Turnabout: Women at the Lathe’ organised by the WIT (Women In Turning) branch of the American Woodturners Association.  I have made of lot of salt and pepper mills over the years, but never exhibited them in any exhibitions in the USA so I thought it was time that I made a special set for this interesting exhibition.

I was really pleased with how they came out, with the pyrographed artichoke leaves and new purple texture on the tops to represent the flowers, and so I went on to also use the inspiration to make a new coleopteran pendant too!

The show will travel to three venues:
Appalachian Center for Craft (ACC), Smithville, TN, January 15- March 12, 2018
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN, June 3-July 29, 2018
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, August 10-October 10, 2018 (exact dates to be finalized.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wizardry in Wood Oct 2016

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I will be exhibiting in London from the 12th-15th Oct 2016 at Wizardry in Wood – organised by the Worshipful Company of Turners, and only held every 4 years.  You can find out more and buy tickets at https://wizardryinwood.com/

One of the oldest Livery Companies in the City of London, the Turners’ Company was already a guild in the 12th Century. Some 200 years later, Edward III decreed that ‘wooden measures, as well for wine as for ale’ should be made only by ‘turnours’ with marks of their own – and the medieval turners established the English ‘pint’ as an official measure. In 1604 the Company received its Royal Charter from James I.

This year their one of competitions is commemorating the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London and I have made a special piece inspired by the start of the fire at the bakery at Pudding Lane which will be exhibited at the show.

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Beautiful and amazing original works by over 70 of the world’s greatest contemporary woodturners

Where, When, How?

Where: In the spectacular and spacious Carpenters’ Hall in the heart of the City of London.

When: Wed 12 – Sat 15 October: opens 10am each day.  On Wed 12, Thur 13 & Fri 14 October: closes 6pm, last entry 5pm.  On Sat 15 October: closes 4pm, last entry 3pm

Go to http://www.wizardryinwood.com to buy tickets

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Clay Barn Summer Exhibition

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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