Spring Series: The Natural World Part Two

An exploration of the work of marquetarian Ian Smith, sea glass and silver from Almost Perfect, and the vivid scarves of Taisir Gibreel.

Join us this week as we get a closer insight to some of this year’s designer-makers discovering some of their creative influences and processes. Beginning with the stimuli of…

How do the materials you work in communicate and connect to spring and an awareness of the seasons?

Does the natural world influence your work and creative processes and if so how?

Almost Perfect Jewellery is designed and created by artist Rose Cecil who is based in the picturesque Cornish village of Mousehole. Her interest in the human relationship with the organic world inspires her jewellery collections.

‘Surrounded by inspiration, I explore ideas, textures and themes related to nature, the seasons and in particular the sea. I named my company Almost Perfect to reflect the fact that in nature nothing is perfect and is often more beautiful and interesting than the mechanical symmetry of manufactured pieces.’

‘Making jewellery provides the opportunity to be creative with extraordinarily beautiful and interesting materials. I trained first as a painter and then as a sculptor at Camberwell College. I see jewellery as an extension of my work as a fine artist and my materials as a three dimensional palette. Form, shape, colour and feel determine the design of a piece. I find inspiration all around me, especially in Cornwall where I live.’

‘The starting point for a piece may be a found texture or simply the beauty of a string of pearls. Inspired by the coast, and landscape, I use its forms, shapes and colours to create my signature pieces in metals and semi-precious stones.’

To see more work from Almost Perfect go to: www.almostperfect.co.uk/

Ian Smith is a marqutarian who works using age-old traditional techniques from his studio in Manchester.

‘As a professional marquetarian, the materials I work in connect to spring and the seasons as I work in wood and of course the trees are wonderful examples of the way the different seasons develop. A lot of my work directly reflects the seasons and the choice of veneers is an example of that.'

‘The natural world influences my work directly as I use natural materials to create my pictures! All my veneers reflect life and growth and my creative processes are stimulated by what I see. I am constantly looking for good subjects for my work, either from my own observations or those of my collaborators. These starting points are often taken directly from nature, not just from spring but all seasons.’

‘The choice of veneers symbolises the warmth or coldness of the season being depicted. I particularly love winter scenes based on the work of the old Dutch masters as the veneers again perfectly reflect the tone and atmosphere they were aiming for.’

To find out more about Ian and his work go to: www.themarquetryshack.com

Taisir Gibreel's Colourful scarves combine pattern and bold colour to create unique prints taking inspiration from the landscapes of her Sudanese- British heritage.

‘Bold structural imagery drawn from urban Scotland against a backdrop of colours and shapes from the Highlands, provides her with a treasure trove of rich colours and wonderful organic shapes. An eclectic fusion of cultures’

‘The Scottish landscapes provide me with a treasure trove of rich colours and wonderful shapes. I believe by showcasing my Sudanese and British roots and drawing inspiration from the colours and shapes of the Scottish Highlands, I create distinctive and unique prints.'

‘The collections of pure silk and wool scarves are bewitching, bold and abstract designs and we produce them in the UK and Italy insuring quality, which is of the utmost importance. Stunning, luxurious silk shift dresses will also soon be joining my expanding collection!’

To find out more about Taisir Gibreel: www.taisirgibreel.co.uk

All the featured designer-makers in our Spring Series: The Natural World blog posts will be exhibiting at Handmade in Britain's up coming event at the Chelsea Old Town Hall. To find out more about the event, and book tickets head to: www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk

Tickets now on sale

Handmade in Britain 14:
Spring Edition

The Contemporary Crafts & Design Fair

9th - 11th May 2014
Chelsea Old Town Hall, London

Spring Edition is open:
Friday 9th: 11:00 - 19:00
Saturday 10th: 11:00 - 18:00
Sunday 11th: 11:00 - 18:00

Tickets are available online now at £5
Tickets on the door are £7/£5 conc.

More Designer-Makers at Handmade in Britain 13!

Interiors at Handmade in Britain 13

Offkut

This year, covetable interior pieces for your home represent both innovation and tradition, showcasing stunning variety in style, form and function.

Stuart Jenkins

This year, indulge in something utterly distinctive, from  reclaimed industrial lighting and furniture from Offkut to bold, contemporary colour from glass artist Aline Johnson, delicate and energetic ceramics from Ali Tomlin and striking textures in the metalwork of Stuart Jenkins.

More covetable interior pieces for your home include Annabel Perrin’s energetic textiles inspired by British architecture to the friendly faces and playful colour to be found in the work of ceramic artist Namiko Murakoshi and the complex organic textures in colossal pieces from Alex McCarthy. 

Eleanor Lakelin

Annabel Perrin

Discover traditional turning techniques masterfully matched with innovative finishes and contemporary form in the unmistakable woodwork of Eleanor Lakelin. To compliment your favourite space and showcase your treasures, the simple lines and elegant detailing in the furniture of Mark Newson are created to commission with sustainably grown wood.

Ceramics at Handmade in Britain 13

Gin Durham

Handmade in Britain 13 will showcase an exciting variety of ceramics from selected UK based makers, and features newcomers and established artists exhibiting work for purchase or commission.

Ingrid Saag

Discover a wealth of style and influence - from the energy and colour in jazz, blues and swing inspired vessels and wall pieces from Ingrid Saag and Welsh landscapes depicted in the porcelain forms of Richard Heeley.  Consider the tense, provocative narratives in Gin Durham’s toy-like figures and the colourful stories to be explored in the work of Michaela Gall, and smile in the company of Victoria Atkinson’s joyful, quirky sculpture.

Celebrating both innovation and tradition, the show presents stunning variety in process, form and function.

A full list of our exhibitors can be on our website: 

http://www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk/chelsea-13/exhibitors/

Designer-Makers at Handmade in Britain 13

Polly Purl

Carole Waller

Fashion at Handmade in Britain 13

Discover stunning and unique fashion and accessories from big names and newcomers alike, featuring the ultimate opulence in textiles from Anne Selby, wearable drama in the artwork of Carole Waller and traditional techniques re-worked in contemporary ways from Leto & Ariadne, Sarah Beadsmoore and Polly Purl. Stunning sculptural shapes and clean lines are found in Jane Hopkinson's luxury leather handbags.

Mark Nuell

Caroline Lukehurst

Jewellery at Handmade in Britain 13

A fantastic variety of jewellery will be exhibited at Handmade in Britain 13, featuring fabulous and playful work from Caroline Lukehurst and Petra Bishai, lustrous rare gemstones from Mark Nuell, the beauty of colour from Lilly Hastedt and timeless elegance in the work of Catherine Mannheim. 

We celebrate innovation in Jasmin Rowlandson’s new collection of porcelain and precious metal clay pieces and Ornella Iannuzzi’s breathtakingly dramatic creations featuring pearls, diamonds and Ethiopian opals.

A full list of exhibitors can be found on our website:

http://www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk/chelsea-13/exhibitors/

Jewellery @ London: A Celebration 

With the show quickly approaching we are excited to announce our talented jewellery exhibitors! Our Jewellers have found inspiration for their pieces all over the wonderful city of London. We are so excited for them to be a part of our show from May 10-13th 2012 at the gorgeous gallery@oxo overlooking the river Thames!

Anne Morgan

Anne Morgan is a Welsh jewellery designer. Anne makes her jewellery using reticulated silver and combining it with semi-precious stones. Her new work, "Coast", which is supported by the Arts Council of Wales uses a combination of her own work and both natural and manmade objects found from various UK coastlines. Anne has been particularly inspired on her trips to the Thames where she has collected pieces of driftwood that she has incorporated into her pieces making them extremely unique. She has also been selected to make the crown for this year's Eisteddfod in the Vale of Glamorgan, which will be revealed in August 2012.

Louise O'Neill

Louise's work is characterised by simplistic lines and pure forms. Louise is inspired by the architecture of London's buildings, skylines, boats, and bridges. The majority of Louise's work is in 18ct gold and often incorporates precious and semi precious gemstones, notably tourmaline, aquamarines, sapphires or diamonds. Louise selects stones that she finds particularly beautiful, an unusual colour or shape, and sometimes has them cut to meet requirements where the design demands. Louise is interested in light and how it is reflected from, and refracted through the stones and often she highlights edges of the metal elements to draw attention to a particular aspect of the piece.

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Glass on Glass

Glass on glass offers unusual, kiln-formed glassware made with recycled glass. By using reclaimed glass to create wall tiles, bowls, candle bridges and myriad other useful and decorative objects, offering a material destined for landfill a new life by giving it a different shape, colour and purpose; it is a constantly evolving process. Designer maker Elaine Mason's commitment is that each piece should be unique, a work of art in it's own right, not to be replicated or copied unless specifically intended. 


Elaine has chosen to work with re-claimed glass and to create unique pieces of colour and texture from an otherwise waste product - re-cycling at its best. Using a fusing process (two pieces of glass fused together in the kiln) it is possible to encapsulate all manner of other materials within the glass - from precious metals to seed heads - and for this, too, she looks at re-cycling what is around her; cutting up used t-light holders, empty tomato puree tubes etc.

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Deryn Relph

Deryn Relph is a textile designer, with a love of colour, pattern and texture, who likes to think creatively about the use of textiles she designs and constructs.

“Although I specialised in knitted textiles for Interior use during my BA(Hons) Textile Design at Winchester School of Art, I merge this with previous upholstery and furnishing skills to create unique and contemporary solutions to an idea.

Versatility is something I believe to be important, and I am keen to think ‘outside the box’ and take on any challenges for which my textile background might hold the key!

Issues affecting the Environment, and Sustainable design underpin my design ethos, and consideration to ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ is made throughout the process, with use of colour and technical ability aiding the solutions.

Working from a studio at my South coast, Hampshire home, I often re-invent discarded furniture and lightshades, making them desirable in a contemporary home. Informed and considerate choices are made in selecting fibres and yarns which come predominantly from factory surplus stocks.”

“Inspiration for my work is often taken from aspects of nature, particularly structures, or scientific imagery.

Nostalgia and evoking an emotional response to engage the user with an object play a part – if something makes us happy, or we love it for the memories it brings I believe we will treasure it for longer rather than send it to landfill.Retro influences are often evident in my designs, inspired by my own childhood memories and happy times.”

See Deryn during the Handmade in Britain Show on STAND HIB 30 

  

     Buy Tickets for the show HERE

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Corinne Phillips

Corinne Phillips is a Fairy Tale Maker. Storytelling is an important element of her art practice, she creates stories and illustrates them with textiles and found objects, embellishing with stitching and beads using both hand and machine embroidery, often using the sewing machine as a drawing tool. 

She has nostalgia for childhood, especially fairy tales, Victorian inventions and gadgets fascinate her and she is always on the look out for unusual objects that she can use in her work.  

Corinne likes to inject her quirky sense of humour into all of her pieces. She says; "When I am creating I am transported to a magical make-believe world and my aim is to bring it to life so that, hopefully, others can enjoy it too."

See Corinne Phillips Fairy Tale work at the Handmade in Britain Show on         

                                                  STAND HIB 21 

  

                                                  Buy Tickets for the show HERE

If you are on Twitter dont forget to get involved in Handmade in Britain's tweet minute. Thursday 17th June at 11am show your support for British Craftsmanship by sending all tweets with the tag #handmadeinbritain twitter.com/handmadebritain 

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EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Bagladee

Bagladee create limited edition, vibrant and beautiful hand bags and accessories, made to a high standard of craftsmanship and attention to detail.

 From her studio in Nottingham, Emma Castle the designer/fabricator behind the bagladee range,  . creates limited edition collection with fresh and exciting designs that are always evolving and changing.

 

Emma says; "I love to create something beautiful and practical out of the gorgeous fabric I source. Hand bags should be full of personality and I like to think that I put the best of me in every item I create, from design and pattern construction right                through to the finished product. There's nothing more satisfying than finishing that final stitch and     seeing your own designs come to life." See Bagladee during the Handmade in Britain Show on STAND HIB 49 

Buy Tickets for the show HERE