Friday 26 October 2012

MADELONDON Starts Today

MADELONDON Poster

MADE LONDON - starts at 12.00 today.
One Marylebone 1 Marylebone Road, NW1 4AQ

See 150 of this countries best and most original designer-makers.
Check out the exhibitor line up here 

(The show will close today at 5.00pm before the Private View tonight)

PNe Marylebone

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Thursday 25 October 2012

Image of the Day - Ann Nazareth

Ann Nazareth
Tea For One
Woven Tea Set and Tray woven with paper cord, rattan
Ann Nazareth will be exhibiting at MADELONDON this week.

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Wednesday 24 October 2012

Image of the Day - Abbott and Ellwood


Abbott and Ellwood
Midnight Gardener, figurative metal sculpture, mixed metals and found objects
35cm high

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Tuesday 23 October 2012

Harris Tweed


Harris Tweed - From Shearing To Stamping from HTA on Vimeo.





A great video about Harris Tweed and why everyone seems to be wearing the orb mark these days!

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Image of the Day - Rowena Brown


Rowena Brown
Raku fired ceramic roofless houses.
5x6x7cm

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Monday 22 October 2012

Maker of the Week - Kate Bajic


 
Kate Bajic makes hand made limited edition silver and gold jewellery. She will be exhibiting her work with the Design Factory at MADE LONDON this weekend.
 
Where did you train?
Loughborough University graduating 2003 with a first in Silversmithing/jewellery.


What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
It taught me to be self reliant and to appreciate craftsmanship in making. I wish it had taught me more in terms of technical skills as I feel I still have so much to learn.

Is being a designer / maker your only job?
I teach one day jewellery workshops to adult learners and offer private tuition at my studio. I have also worked as a visiting lecturer on crafts based degrees at Coventry University working with students on both BA & MA courses.

One favourite living designer?
Jacqueline Ryan for the sheer beauty and craftsmanship of her work.
 
One favourite historical designer? Antoni Gaudí for his fabulous, imaginative architecture and beautiful mosaics. I went to Barcelona as part of my art foundation course and visiting Sagrada Familia was awe inspiring.

What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
Apart from being a Mum, as there’s never a dull moment, I would say the job I’m doing now. I get to work with students who are enthusiastic and keen to learn, and I also get to spend time developing my own work and ideas. The best of both worlds!
 
 
What is your most prized item of design / craft? 
Irene Metaxatos fine silver ring bought for me by my husband when I exhibited at One Year On at New Designers with her. It’s beautifully simple in it’s design and construction.
What item of design / craft do you covet most?
A collection of Katrin Moye ceramics, her new range of work is just lovely.

At age 16 who most influenced your style?
Unfortunately at 16 I wasn’t really thinking about much beyond Spandau Ballet & Duran Duran!

Last book / film that blew your mind?  
I do watch lots of films, not sure any have blown my mind but one of my favourites is ‘In Bruges’ for its very dark humour and the fantastic Colin Farrell
What music are you currently listening to?
Favourite at the moment is Ren Harvieu but I like a wide range of music, anything from Muse & Foo Fighters to 80’s pop!
 
How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
Too many, particularly now I have an iphone, it’s just too easy to keep checking FB & Twitter.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
In Cornwall by the sea because of the beautiful light and the wonderful beaches

Where and what is your studio?
My studio is a log cabin in my garden often invaded by my cat and occasionally by my chickens! It’s a lovely place to work with no commute but it can be difficult to keep focused and you have to be quite disciplined.
 
Do you have a good work/life balance?
Yes as I work from home I can be very flexible and always make time for friends & family. I’m lucky to live in a very social village, there’s always something going on.
What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work? 
Absorbing

 

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Image of the Day - Sarah Lock

Handmade lighting
Sarah Lock will be exhibiting at MADELONDON with 'fig1'

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Sunday 21 October 2012

Image of the Day - Joy Fox


JOY FOX
Textile accessories
Joy Fox will be exhibiting with at MADELONDON with 'fig1'

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Saturday 20 October 2012

Image of the Day - Alison Milner

Alison Milner
Formica green sampler tabletop and enamel bowl.
Alison Milner will be exhibiting with 'fig1.' at MADELONDON

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Friday 19 October 2012

Louise Loder - The Movie


Louise Loder 720p 2 from MADE LONDON on Vimeo.

The last in our series of movies by Ben Tutton in preparation for MADE LONDON - The Design and Craft Fair, is about Louise Loder a maker of silver jewellery, utensils and objects.

See also other videos
- Dove Street Potter David Worsley
- Dialogue Collective
- Helaina Sharpley
- Jonathan Garratt
- Holly Berry

 Video by Ben Tutton

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Image(s) of the Day - Carol Butler


Carol Butler
Hand Embroidery
Carol has neither a website or email so if you want to see her beautiful work you have to come to MADELONDON - where she'll be exhibiting with fig1. on the Mezzanine floor


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Thursday 18 October 2012

Image of the Day - Grainne Morton


Grainne Morton
Lover of the woods
Brooch
Grainne Morton will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October

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Wednesday 17 October 2012

Image of the day - Jake Phipps


Jake Phipps
STELLAR Console.
140cm x 40m x 80cm.
Limited to 25 Editions.
Jake Phipps will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October

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Tuesday 16 October 2012

Image of the Day - Kate Holdsworth


Kate Holdsworth
Pillow Cushion Pendant, Silver.
Kate Holdsworth will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October with Quarter Studios.

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Monday 15 October 2012

HOLLY BERRY - The Movie


Holly Berry 720p from MADE LONDON on Vimeo.
 
Video is best viewed full size.

Our latest video by Ben Tutton is on the London based weaver Holly Berry.
Holly will be exhibiting at MADELONDON next week.

Also other videos
- Dove Street Potter David Worsley
- Dialogue Collective
- Helaina Sharpley
- Jonathan Garratt

 Video by Ben Tutton

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Image of the Day - Jo Candlish


Jo Candlish
Black silver and peal astralis necklace
Foldforming
Roughly 3cm Diameter
Jo Candlish will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October with Quarter Studios.

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Sunday 14 October 2012

Maker of the Week - Christopher Burley

Christopher Burley is a designer-maker of bespoke fine furniture trading as Heliconia Furniture from Bermondsey, South London. Christopher designs and makes contemporary pieces of simple elegance using the 21st century technologies of CAD drawing and CNC along with traditional woodworking skills.  He involves the client in the design process from the outset and tries to encourage a sense of co-operation and mutual creativity that is beyond the usual shopping experience.  Christopher has also recently devised a range of furniture for selling through retail outlets and online stores. He will be showing his work at MADE LONDON.

Where did you train? What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
I studied at Williams and Cleal Fine Furniture school on Exmoor in Somerset, where I learnt the Arts & Crafts tradition of quality of materials and making, as well as an honesty of design.  In retrospect I wish that there had been more time to work with other materials, that might be complementary to wood but at the time woodworking was my focus.

Is being a designer / maker your only job?
I have no other employment.  After working in IT for 13 years I changed career to pursue my love of woodworking.  I am lucky, so far, that I have not needed to supplement my income with any unwelcome IT contracts.

One favourite living designer?
Michael Young because of his work across disciplines but particularly the beautiful folded leather on the ultra modern chairs in the 100 range, produced for Trussardi last year. http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/14161/michael-young-trussardi-100-collection.html.  The ambition of his work demonstrates how quality can remain paramount regardless of the scale or context of the project.  It inspires you to think beyond your medium and embrace ideas and materials appropriate to the brief rather than trying to crowbar your discipline or experience into the work.  But I like wood and no one experiments more in wood than Joseph Walsh http://www.josephwalshstudio.com/, who’s alien designs defy you not to be ambitious.

What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
Agatha is a revolving bookcase I made in solid black walnut for a client to store Agatha Christie paperbacks. The novels, plays and short story collection required space for 94 books in total so I designed the cabinet to house all 94 snugly with shelves to display the book spines and apertures to display the book covers.
The design of this piece is influenced by the styles of inter-war years but with simple modern lines. The dark timber is complemented by the colourful covers of the new Harper paperback editions.



What is your most prized item of design / craft?
I live in South London and I have a limited edition print by local artist Reuben Powell, instigator of Hotel Elephant Gallery at Elephant & Castle.  It’s a black ink drawing depicting the London Hotel, a now demolished Victorian work house, which was famous for being one of the places George Orwell stayed whilst researching for ‘Down and Out in London and Paris.’ I guess its my favourite because it was local and very familiar to me.  I saw the building everyday, to and from work.  Its a familiar, if terrible, building to all who live in the Elephant & Castle area.

What item of design / craft do you covet most?
Hans Wegner’s Round Chair. http://www.deconet.com/decopedia/object/4/  A set of these would be fantastic.  The horseshoe shape of this chair from the late 1940s has a comforting embrace but a businesslike majesty to.  It is most famous for being sat on by JFK and Richard Nixon in the televised Presidential debate in 1960.  You can buy repros now but I have not seen any that successfully use the timbers natural figure (ash or cherry) or with the hand-woven cane used on the original.

At age 16 who most influenced your style?
I wish I could say I thought about design when I was 16 but I just thought about music and girls.

 
Last book / film that blew your mind?
AS Byatt’s ‘The Children’s Book’ is an all engrossing saga for creative types.  It depicts Victorian crafts people as social radicals, living for their craft but also interested in everything around them and mixing with artists and political activists.  Its not mind blowing but it makes my nostalgic side happy without my modernist side feeling too guilty.

What music are you currently listening to?
Fleet Foxes, Faust and always Nick Cave.

How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
The advantage of spending 60% of your time in a wood workshop is it is far too dusty and hot for a computer so the internet has to be used with focus when at home on the PC.  However, how many hours I waste playing with my iphone is another matter all together.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
I live in London and at the moment I can’t think of anywhere that offers the same diversity of distractions (or as many tool shops and timber yards).


Where and what is your studio?
My wood shop is in a council workshop complex just off Tower Bridge road.  The building has seen better days and is a little rough around the edges but my workshop is just the right size and has large windows and skylights providing a helpful amount of natural light. I share the workshop with other makers who are an inspiration as well as a daily source of advice and good humour.

Do you have a good work/life balance?
When you have changed your career you are so happy to be doing something you enjoy I think you pay less attention to your work/life balance than you should. I get lost in my work during the planning or early construction phases of a project as there are always interesting problems to resolve. It can be difficult to leave it alone. 

What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
Engrossed

 

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Image of the Day - Emma Nacht


Emma Nacht
Large Silver Ring, all hand pierced.
Emma Nacht will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October

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Saturday 13 October 2012

Image of the Day - Jonathan Field



Jonathan Field
American Black Walnut Table.
Jonathan Field will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October

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Friday 12 October 2012

Image of the Day - Nick Barberton


Nick Barberton
Walnut Chair
76 x 76 x 76
Nick Barberton will be exhibiting at MADE London in October

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Thursday 11 October 2012

Image of the Day - David Plagerson


David Plagerson
Cherries Frieze Ark with Animals; the Ark painted Columbian pine, 20" x 13" x 7"; animals painted lime wood, 1" - 6". All designed for maximum strength and finished with a gloss varnish for children's play.
David Plagerson will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October

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Wednesday 10 October 2012

Jonathan Garratt - The Movie


Fired Fruits from David Hobson on Vimeo.

This Film is the work of David Hobson and portrays the work and life of Jonathan Garratt as he prepares clay, throws, decorates, and finally woodfires his pots in his bottle kiln at his pottery in Dorset. (watch Full Screen)

Jonathan Garratt will be speaking about his life as a potter in Dorset during MADE LONDON (Saturday 27th October 3.00 in the Crypt Cafe) 


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Image of the Day - Daphne Krinos


Daphne Krinos
Necklace,
Ruthenium plated silver, aquamarines and morganite
Daphne Krinos will be exhibiting at MADE LONDON in October

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Tuesday 9 October 2012

Image of the Day - Rachel Foxwell


Rachel Foxwell
Vessels and vases
Earthenware ceramic
Rachel Foxwell will be exhibiting at MADE London in October with Made In  Bristol

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Monday 8 October 2012

Bring a friend to MADELONDON for free!

MADE LONDON is our newest venture.

We have a fantastic, beautiful, 3 story central London venue - One Marylebone and have selected about 150 of the most original, talented makers from all over the UK and beyond to exhibit. (Check our full list of exhibitors here)


We know that MADE LONDON will be one of the best craft fairs in the country this year given the caliber of the makers exhibiting. We would like to offer 50 2for1 voucher's to readers of this blog - this enables visitors to bring a friend to the show for free!

MADELONDON is taking place
• Friday 26th October 12am - 5.00pm
• Saturday 27th October 10am - 6.00pm
• Sunday 28th October 10am - 5.00pm

The venue is by Regents Park directly opposite Great Portland Street Tube. There is a cafe and bar in the Crypt and there is a daily talks programme at 3.00 - details here.

We'll send the first 50 people to register a 241 voucher (we send it out by post) Click Here

 (use the offer code MadeBlog) - normal price £10 per person.

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Image of the Day - Emma Clegg


Emma Clegg
Rose Church Candle Holder
Thrown and decorated Porcelain
19cms wide x 11cms high
Emma Clegg will be exhibiting at MADELONDON in October

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Sunday 7 October 2012

Maker of the Week - Linda Bloomfield

Linda Bloomfield makes thrown porcelain tableware from her studio in London. She will be showing her work at MADE LONDON.


Where did you train? What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
I was taught to throw by potter Vanessa Waller in her studio in Chesham at age 16. My degree and doctorate from Warwick University were in engineering and taught me how to do my own research. I wish i had more business training.

Is being a designer / maker your only job?
I write books on pottery for A&C Black in my spare time

One favourite living designer?
Jonathan Adler. I love his midcentury-influenced ceramic designs.

One favourite historical designer?
Eva Zeisel. I love her voluptuous forms.

What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
Being a self-employed potter. I love making pots.

What is your most prized item of design / craft?
A Peter Wills pink bowl which reminds me of a Lucie Rie bowl in the V&A museum. I bought it to celebrate having my pots in Liberty.

What item of design / craft do you covet most?
A Lucie Rie pot

At age 16 who most influenced your style?
Ska bands such as The Specials, The Beat and Madness

Last book / film that blew your mind?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

What music are you currently listening to?
I can't get Grace Jones "I've seen that face before/Libertango" out of my head

How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
2

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Somewhere in the English countryside, perhaps Somerset or Devon. I love the countryside and hunting for wild food.

Where and what is your studio?
A shed in my garden in West London

Do you have a good work/life balance?
I spend too much time working

What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?Obsessive


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Image of the Day - Giedre Vadeike


Giedre Vadeike
Knuckleduster (2012)
anger management in-hand bangle
(hand carved epoxy resin, inlays of silver and silicon)
Giedre Vadeike will be exhibiting at MADE London in Ocotber

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Saturday 6 October 2012

Artist of the Week - Catherine Jacobs

Catherine Jacobs produces mixed media, abstract landscape paintings on wooden blocks. She is based in London.


Where did you train? What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
I did an BA in Psychology and short courses in art here and there including a National Certificate in Photography. My work has always been experimental and process led and came from a need to make things ...

Is being an artist your only job?
My practice is  influenced by my parallel career as a research psychologist - sometimes with a direct reference and sometime much more loosely 

One favourite living artist?
Mark Wallinger for his curatorial eye, wide ranging practice and the balance of humour in his art. The Russian Linesman group show he curated at the Hayward was superb - the catalogue is still for sale in their shop!! 

One favourite historical artist?
Caravaggio  - the realism, the saturated colours

What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
My psychology post is fascinating as I get to translate research into practical applications with social workers and this comes back into my art practice 


If you could collaborate with anyone living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Mmm that's a hard one, Gordon Matta Clark's ideas and work I find amazing so would have been good to have a chat and see where it lead.

At age 16 who most influenced your style?
Don't think I knew what style was at 16.... Caravaggio on a school trip was a revelation and moved my cultural references on from Duran Duran 

Last book / film that blew your mind?
I thought Steve McQueen's Shame was compelling and psychologically accurate, with some beautifully filmed close ups.

What music are you currently listening to?
Radio 3 when doing freelance psychology work at home, ambient mostly at the studio, with some indie

How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
Not that many as have a small child to keep me away from it

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
I think it would be New York with a holiday home in Scandinavia ...  the energy followed by a swim in the lake 

Where and what is your studio?
It is at the Chocolate Factory in Stoke Newington, East London http://www.chocolatefactoryn16.com/
More me it is a place to experiment and play without tidying up and even has heating .... 

Do you have a good work/life balance?
Yes tennis in the local park does help it along

What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
(Serious) play 

What would your dream commission be?
Would like to do an huge immersive photographic installation using my close up techniques


If you could exhibit in any gallery in the world which would it be?
Having just been to the amazing Louisiana in Denmark so it would be there overlooking the sea.http://www.louisiana.dk/dk/Service+Menu+Right/English

 

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