The excavations at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 were the biggest ever dig in the UK. They also uncovered a particularly fine wooden bowl. I loved the bowl from when I saw the first images and was thrilled to be asked to make a replica of it to go in a display in the terminal building. The original is above and below…
I have spent many years as a craftsman and then the last seven I have systematically developed a range of woodcarving courses. This has been a very interesting process and I thought it may be useful to others that teach to know how my mind works. So here are my 10 rules for teaching craft, they have been developed from…
Sorry this is rather off my normal craft and woodworking topics but it is a subject equally dear to my heart. It is a story of powerful rich men taking risks with other people’s livelihoods for their own personal gain, sound like the banking fiasco? no this one is industrial farming but there is still time to do something about…
Mary Rose bowls The Mary Rose was Henry the VIIs ship and sank in 1545. Every sailor had his personal bowl and I have had the opportunity to study and photograph the originals during my research. Whether you particularly want a Tudor replica or just a characterful bowl for your breakfast, soup or stew, these beech bowls should stand years…
I love stories of people who live simple lives yet make a positive difference to the world. Our lives today seem to end up so complicated and yet it seems so hard to make a difference. Well today I am taking a bit of inspiration from a homeless man called Simon who spends his time between Bath, Oxford, Cambridge and…
I am delighted to be part of the judging panel for a new national craft skills award which is being supported by HRH The Prince of Wales. The awards were launched on Thursday and these are the Prince’s words of support. “I have always had a huge admiration for those who have the talent to use their hands, mind and…
This morning there was a great piece on Radio 4 “Start the Week” which had interesting conversations by important thinkers. I want to transcribe a few sections here before it gets lost but for those in the UK you can listen again for a few days here Sir Anthony Gormley “This is a real subject of passion for me, I…
This first film is from a workshop I visited in 2000, I was still on a film camera then and my pictures are all slides so it was a treat to find this nice film of the ring turning process online. This is the workshop of Christian Werner of Seiffen a master ring turner. If you have not heard of…
The center for wood art has for the last 30 years been the focus for the worlds best wood artists, particularly in woodturning. In their last major international exhibition I showed a piece which was a video installation along with a floor covered in my wooden cores (it was before and rather smaller than Ai Wei Wei’s magnificent sunflowers) The…
If you have arrived here chances are you have an interest in traditional woodwork or traditional crafts generally. Many of my blog readers may already have a copy of my book on the history of turned wooden bowls but some may not and since I wrote it before I started blogging I have never plugged it here. I did a…
