So four months work are coming to fruition with the opening of my first ever show. This marks 20 years as a full time woodworker and it has been a very interesting process. Most interesting has been the challenge to create something new to fit in to an environment that I have admired for 25 years. To create a body of work that could stand alongside the work of master craftspeople from 6 centuries or more. There will be more images here in due course but here for now are a few snaps as a preview. The show opens today, I am doing turning demonstrations today and tomorrow and the pieces will be in place until the Hall closes for the winter November 1st.
The centrepiece of the show. I made three huge hewn bowls on raised stands.
There are also two large new nests of bowls on stands.
The new work is all hewn and textured with the Japanese adze or chouna. The bowls texture is called kikkou hatsuri and reminiscent of the pattern on a turtles back. The stand texture is called yahazu moyou similar to the feathers on an arrow flight or a herringbone pattern.
Here are the pieces in their setting, what a glorious place. If you have never visited I would highly recommend it, to me it is like a spiritual home, the craftwork on display there from the building to the furniture collections are simply incredible.
Apart from the lovely bowls, I admire the way you’ve presented it; taking inspiration from something in the hall’s collection (featured in your announcement post) and developing it in such a free and effective way.
How beautiful – images and description – the exhibition looks wonderful and I look forward to your further images.
Congratulations
beautiful!
We managed to get over to Haddon Hall yesterday. All of your bowls look great – and the context is perfect. I especially like the large bowls and the nice clean tool marks. To anyone like me who is involved in making bowls or anything else from wood, I would thoroughly recommend going to Haddon Hall to see these.
Last day in Hadden Hall before winter break and a big surpise to see how wonderful your wooden artefacts harmonised with all the medieval interieur of this amazing place.
The black ones in the kitchen have been like a meditation in front of the black wooden stripes of the old walls. Thanks a lot for this art and craft with such big power inside!
Andrea and Uli from North Germany