From the Art Workers Guild Secretary

March events!!!!

2010-01-20T11:58:00.006Z

CRAFT MATTERS:
I went to see another presentation of the new initiative by the CRAFTS COUNCIL called CRAFT MATTERS. As far as I understand, all they want us to do is sign a petition and the only reason I can see them needing a petition is to drum up support for the Crafts Council. They have only managed to collect 6000 signatures, despite the fact that there are 35,000 registered makers in the UK.

I can't help wondering if they would get more support if they laid out why it is worth supporting the Crafts Council and what they intend to do for makers in the future.

Craft is enjoying a resurgence in the Art world and while some get bogged down in the meaning of words and the relationship between design and making, the new generation is bored with 'cerebral conceptualism' and is re-discovering the 'magic of making'.
Whether the creative student pursues a career as an artist, investigating process as a means to an end or as a craftsman who aims to master a particular skill, is not for anyone to decide. What is clear, is that there is again a real interest amongst people to learn new craft skills or to take their existing craft skills further.

What the Crafts Council do well is publish CRAFTS magazine. In the current issue there is an article covering the exhibition due to be held at MAD in New York, underlying this very issue.
http://madmuseum.org/

Two Exhibitions that I shall be going to are both at the CAA
http://www.caa.org.uk/

Pins by Brother Vicki Ambery-Smith are on show at:
The Honey Bee and the Hive is at Contemporary Applied Arts from 26 March - 1 May

and before that

Intelligent Trouble: A Curious Exchange

19th February - 20th March

Discussions will be
facilitated in the gallery
by Helen Carnac, Lin
Cheung, David Clarke
and David Gates (see images of cabinet attached) on:
Wed 10 March 4pm
Wed 17 March 6.30pm

All of whom came to the Guild recently to meet a number of Brethren and hear about the Guild's past and present goals. We hope to welcome them to Ordinary Meetings soon.

Events and Exhibitions October 2009

2009-10-02T10:52:00.008+01:00

Notice of current exhibitions:

“Together”
Jane McAdam Freud and McDermott
@ Gradidge Room, 6 Queen Square, London
11th -18th October

Timothy Mark Gallery, 20 New Quebec St, London
Making the Future: Selling exhibition of today’s key designer makers
Martin Grierson
6th September – 4th October

The Stour Gallery, Warwickshire
Autumn Exhibition
Peter Hayes
26th September – 24th October

Galerie Hélène Porée, 1 rue de l’Odeon, Paris
Katherine Coleman Solo Exhibition
8 – 31st October

Geedon Gallery Autumn Exhibition, Essex
Edmund Fairfax –Lucy / Jacqueline Taber / A Lincoln Taber
01206728587 / 01206729151
3rd -18th October

‘The Network’ glass installation @ “The Ivy” restaurant in London
Michael Petry

Open Studio, 22 Grove Terrace, Highgate – London NW5
Jane Cox
11am – 5pm
10 – 11 and 17 – 18 October

Origin @ Somerset House, Strand, London
Regina Heintz
6/11 October

Wandsworth Open House
Gilbert Whyman
3rd - 4th and 10th - 11th October
70 Erpingham Road, Putney SW15

Barcelona 2

2009-08-08T17:02:00.021+01:00

I am coming to the end of my trip and am making the most of Spanish cuisine.

My family took me to a restaurant on the 'beach' to eat black paella and octopus. Although the paella look burnt, it is in fact cooked with a lot of squid ink which has a wonderful taste.

The octopus on the other hand is very simply cooked and cut, then sprinkled with paprika and sea salt - mmm!

My last interview was another favourite. I had wanted to meet this Toni Cumella right from the start - just have a look at their website:www.cumella.net/quisom.htm you need to know a bit of French or Spanish to understand the Catalan.

Right from the start of our talk he confessed that it was his privileged upbringing, surrounded by intellectuals and artists that enabled him to see a future in his craft. He understands the importance of quality and open-mindedness and fears that a lot of traditional craftsmen in Spain are handicapped by only looking towards the passed instead of searching for opportunities in the future.

It all comes down to education and on that note he gave me a tour round the factory. Unfortunately it was the last day before the summer holidays officially start and the 10 workmen had left. However, his son was there and he is taking an active role in the company.

Toni showed me how they display the different glaze colours and the oven he had dezined that can be lifted up and over a second crate of ceramics.

While I was in Barcelona there was an exhibition of his latest
project: Villa Nurbs - www.ruiz-geli.com/04_html/04_villanurbs.html

Worth a look even if the images take a little while to download.
I feel I have learnt so much and met such amazing people that it is going to take a while for everything to sink in.

The influence of Gaudi and the Catalan "Modernist movement" is very strong and I wish all regions of Spain could boast of a creative movement.

Spain is so varied in scenery, culture, food and personalities. It makes it a difficult country to decipher or generalize about. My first interview with Mercedes Valcárcel from the "Fundación Española para la Innovación de la Artesanía"comes to mind when she expressed the difficulties of communicating between the different regions, each with its own local government and ways of doing things.

On one of my last evenings I was very lucky to get some tickets to a guitar concert in the famous

Palau de la Música Catalana

It was a recital of famous Spanish music and a lovely way to end this trip.

I left Barcelona and joined friends in the countryside outside Gerona for a week, eating well, sleeping well and soaking in the sun.

Thank you for dipping into my whereabouts from time to time and do come to the exhibition when it is up next month.

If you have any questions about the people I met or places I visited, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Warmest wishes
Monica

Barcelona 1

2009-07-31T15:54:00.015+01:00

My first interview is with ‘Artesania Catalana’, I was told at the beginning of my trip that Catalunia is the most advanced province in terms of helping crafts gain recognition.

This office was set up specifically to promote traditional and contemporary crafts. They have a gallery space, publish a monthly magazine called “”, and they organize different projects. Significantly Barcelona has some of the best schools in ceramics, graphics and design. It also has more Museums than other provinces and the Decorative Arts museum is better than the one in Madrid!

Since 2007 they have started putting modern designers together with traditional craftsmen to produce new products using the traditional methods. They have had some success, although when I asked where could I see this collection of objects I was told that the objects belonged to the designers so there was no link between them, they where trying to produce a website with all the objects on them.

The offices where situated in the old part of the city and it was interesting to see that here you do find antique shops selling Spanish antiques other than religious artifacts. I also saw workshops for upholsterers and furniture restorers. I arrived early for the interview so that I could have a quick peak at the famous “Bour” Market.

On the Wednesday I had a busy day first seeing Oscar Abba, an Italian jeweler living in Barcelona for a very long time.

He studied Philosophy at University in Rome and then came to Barcelona to do jewelry at the famous Massana School.

He admits to being a bit of an odd ball and prefers to work in projects where his client asks him to produce something relating to a piece of art or building. He has had commissions from the Porche Foundation and the V&A.

We talked more about philosophy over a cup of coffee.

I then went to see Leo.

He and his partner set up a gallery (klimt@klimt02.net) specializing in contemporary jewelry and a website that offers a very comprehensive view of the “advent guard” jewelry scene. I was surprised that no one had asked them their opinions on how to market/improve Spanish jewelry, neither the government, or the schools.

In the afternoon I went to see the ONLY wallpaper producers in Spain. I was quite excited about this because as some of you know I am a Trustee of the Wallpaper History Society, so this meeting was a must!

Dani is the third generation in the family working in the firm and the and his brothers have revolutionized the business by getting famous designers to produce designs for them and improving distribution so that the can deliver anywhere in Spain within 24 hours. The get all their papers printed in Valencia and use rollers, no digital printing yet. This year is the first year they are also producing some fabrics. www.trestintas.com

You can see their product in Chelsea Harbour!

My final picture was taken inside the famous design shop Vincom, full of fab gadgets we can probably live without, but a really well designed shop with very tasteful things, well worth a visit.

They had an exhibition on the Barbie phenomenon, which I had to resist.

On my way to Barcelona

2009-07-30T08:39:00.017+01:00

From the mountains I drive to Cardona and fail to see the salt rock sculptor!

Move on to Vic-Sau on Friday, feel very pleased with myself for choosing such a beautiful spot for my birthday!

Meet up with Joan who shows me some of the projects he and his partner have done.

They are currently working with a famous Catalan architect to make a pavilion in the Shanghai Expo in 2010.

Their first client has a special events venue situated in a parkland full of pieces of sculpture and artwork and Juan’s work.

Really interesting, and then we also see the owners latest project turning his family's farmhouse into a rental property for artists. All the rooms have a different theme designed by different artists – very entertaining.

On Saturday I went to see my Godmother Manuela in her home town of Terrassa... and she took me out to her coutry club for lunch. The Club used to be in the country, but is now very much in the suburbs of Terrassa. In the last 40 years Spain's towns and cities have mushroomed in size and and offten with very bad planning.

On Sunday I finally drove to Barcelona and said good buy to the car. I can't quite belive the road trip is over.

I have family here and am staying with my aunt and unkle. On my second day there they took me to the famous Gaudi park 'el Parque de Guell' - a treat for the photographer.

I also went to see one of his houses and the Palau de Musica which is a very fine example of Spanish Art Nouveau.

Well, I don't really have to point out the cultural highlights of Barcelona, there is an awful lot to see and do and if ou haven't been you should spend a week end here. Perhaps not in July or August, too hot.

In the Pyreenes

2009-07-26T11:40:00.015+01:00

I chose to come here for a bit of rest bite and to get a little writing done, but it was so lovely I did more resting than writing! Oops…

I spent two days in Vielha, very near the French border. This village feels a bit like an Alpine skiing village, and although the hotel had a great swimming pool and amazing views, after two days I was ready to reach Seu d’Urgel.

Seu d'Urgell is famous for its "Cathedral, a beautiful example of the Italian-influenced Romanesque style of Catalonia in the 11th and 12th centuries. Also outstanding are the Romanesque church of Sant Miquel, from the 11th century, and the Sagrada Familia, the City Hall, from the 15th century, and a Diocesan Museum, which I did go and see, it holds a valuable manuscript called the Beatus de Lièbana which was impressive.

This town felt very different to Vielha, shame they where repaving all the roads in the old town, so it was a bit disruptive, but I took a couple of pics to give you an idea.

On the second day, I found a craft shop/gallery in the old town run by a a guy called Antonio,

a wood restorer who tells me to go to the Eco Museu in Esterri d’Aneu. It’s only an hour and a half back in the direction of Vielha… but I go.

The Museum is a restored farmhouse of the 18th century and enough objects have been donated to give the place a lived in atmosphere. The village is made of stone and you can really imagine how cold and isolated the mountains could get in winter.

I meet Ignasi Ros who showed me the collection and the shop.

He is passionate about the traditional crafts of the Pyrenean area. He has documented the last important ceramicists in the area and has had reproductions made for the shop.

He admits that the younger generation of potters are very reluctant to copy old things and as for weavers he has only found one…

Seu d'Urgel is also famous for its outdoor activities and the canoeing and Kayaking championships where held here not too long ago. Despite being up here in the mountains, the heat seems to be following me and I watch the kayaking with a little bit of jealousy.

I left feeling I had not done enough in this region.

From Valencia to the Pyrenees

2009-07-20T19:31:00.017+01:00

When I get to a place I tend to spend at least half a day walking around just soaking everything in and looking at shops and watching people.

While in Valencia I walked past a jewelry shop, which really caught my eye. The jewelry was bold, bright, contemporary but classic. It stuck in my mind so I went back to ask if the designers where Spanish.

Trinidad Gracia Bensa and her husband Jose Maldonado are the jewelry designers and Trinidad is from a third

generation of Jewelry makers. They both have degrees in fine art and Trinidad went to do a course in West Dean. She now also spends time teaching video art at the art college and she works with the art department allowing students to use her shop as a gallery.

The Shop is unusual because you can see the jewelry makers at work, I think there are three in total.

Also there is a wonderful safe room in the basement which Trinidad showed me.
My photographs are not very good, if you want to see better images of their work have a look at the website: www.trinidadgracia.es

On Saturday morning I picked up my good friend William Smalley from the airport and we headed north for the weekend. I have wanted to see a small village called Albarracin, outside Teruel for many years,

it is a bit of a tourist destination and I think I read about it in a book by Laurie Lee called: ‘As I Walked out one Mid-summers' Morning’, not sure...

Anyway we went north specifically to see it and here are a few pictures of the village

…. and Will. It is wonderfully atmospheric and the drive there is also great, you suddenly start descending from a very dry flat landscape into a gorge with a fast running river at the bottom, green and leafy, you look up to see this village climbing up the side of the cliff above you and it is exactly as it was in the 14th century, it even has the gutters running down the middle of the narrow streets. We saw a lady empty her bucket into the drain just as the villagers have always done.

If you have been hearing about the many fires Spain is suffering due to the very high temperatures, then you may want to know that although we where in the Teruel area, we did not see any smoke! The heat has been impressive and I am looking forward to going up into the mountains.

I dropped Will off the next day at the train station in Zaragoza after a very quick lunch and I headed into the Pyrenees, quite a long drive but stunning scenery.

Driving through flat barren countryside towards lush green mountains.

Costa Blanca and Valencia

2009-07-20T11:33:00.023+01:00

Noelle Vickers very kindly invited me to stay with her and her husband for the weekend. Some of you might know of Noelle as the lady who set up Cultural Bloomsbury, a networking organization that has really flourished and has over a hundred people meeting every month to share information in this part of London. She has now moved to the sunny Spanish province of Almeria, (one hour south of Valencia) and is slowly setting up an English teaching course that offers total submersion in our language: http://www.llww.eu/business-english.html

The Noelle’s live next to a village called Pedreguer. When I arrived the village was enjoying 10 days of fiesta, so we went to check it out. Bull running is better known in Pamplona, but it is practiced in other parts of Spain, so I was excited to see up close and personal. There was quite a lot of waiting around and not much happening, but the locals take this opportunity to catch up with family and friends and everyone has a really good time.

When the bulls did arrive, they ran up and down the street getting more and more annoyed, the men had a chance to show off their bravura and then the animals where led away. Getting this close to a bull makes you respect them a whole lot more!

Noelle, also found some craftsmen for me to go and see. She first took me to see the guitar maker Francisco Bros: www.guitarrasbros.com

While we talked and looked around there was a Cuban musician checking out the latest instruments and tuning them. Luis Bros produces Classical, Cuban and Flamenco guitars. He showed me the difference between the different instruments, it was great to be able to hear the different styles of music.

We also went to see a local sculptor called Toni Mari. There are very few metal sculptors in Spain. Although I have seen a bit of pubic sculpture on the motorways and would be interested to find out how they are commissioned. Toni received us in his office, which was more like a sauna, and talked about how he had been lucky in doing what he likes and earning money out of it. www.tonimari.es

He also acknowledged that most of his clients where foreigners who had settled here. He admitted that the Spanish did not appreciate sculptor as much, but commissions where coming from the council and this was increasing. He is a man that makes the most of any opportunity and believes that what you give you get back. He offers apprenticeships to anyone who asks and told me he would be delighted to help share his work with anyone interested. There was no defensiveness or cynicism, if anyone copied him, he said; he would take it as a compliment! Wish more of us where like Toni.

On Sunday it was time to go to Valencia. I had booked myself into a large hotel slightly on the outskirts, bad idea, they are really ugly and you have to get the tube to get into the old town to see the attraction of this big city. After resting for a day and doing a little retail therapy, I decided to go and look up a company Katherine Beauchamp (of ‘Cole and Son’) had recommended to me. I did not have access to the internet at this hotel so I did not know what to expect. I got a train to the outskirts, where the large country house used to be, the rich red earth in these parts, grows citrus fruit, watermelons, dates, nuts, spices and much, much more. You can see why the Arabs fought so hard to keep these lands. I pictured El Cid coming all the way from Zamora to win his battles here in the south.

Garin is a textile manufacturer and when I arrived at the factory, I did not expect to see what I saw. Inside they have 15 looms that are still in use producing the most sumptuous woven silks you can imagine.

I spent 3 hours looking around with the Marketing Director. Garin is a family owned company that was set up in the early 19th century, I met the 8th generation, Elena, in her office. They have worked with the National Trust, Hampton Court, the Bolshoi….it goes on and on, but the main clients for the hand woven silks still come from Valencia. Women buy the material to make the traditional Valencian costume.

Considering the price of these works of art starts at 6000€ per square meter, you have to have a lot of national pride to want a costume for the Ferias. www.garin1820.c0m

The other thing I did while I was here was go to the famous Ceramic museum. Valencia is famous for three things Silk textiles; it was one of the three main producers in the 17th and 18th century (together with Florence and Istanbul) until a pesticide and a flood destroyed the Mulberry trees of this region in 1860.

Ceramics; the region produced vast quantities for all of Europe, now only a few villages produce pottery. And the third craft is jewelry which had a distinctive style, borrowed from the gypsy community and in turn originating from India.

Anyway, the Ceramic museum is as famous for the house in which the pieces are exhibited, as it is for the collection itself – well worth a visit and one of the few restored vernacular buildings I have seen.

Next to the Cathedral is a small craft market, specializing in needlework, lace making, embroidery and knitting. I have not seen one like it and was pleased to hear it is being restored.

I left just as Valencia was starting to warm on me.

With this project I am struggling to separate artistic craft and functional craft – it should be both, but inevitable personal taste dictates what stands out more.

Back in Madrid

2009-07-18T12:47:00.019+01:00

After over two weeks on my own it was a real pleasure turning up on my aunts doorstep in Madrid again. They where excited to see the pictures and hear my stories.

It took me a couple of days to wash clothes, see family, catch up, go into town to check out a few galleries and see and exhibition on Sorolla and buy a few necessities. On Wednesday I was ready to tackle Toledo.
It is a half hour train journey from the capital and well worth a visit. The place is made up of layers of archaeology, from Romans to Arab to Visigoths to medieval and times of the inquisition.

There are archaeological sites always on the go and buildings have become structures, which have been remodeled and changed so much over time they are indecipherable warrens of stone, plaster and wood.

I was coming to see one man and his team who work on these structures and restore and conserve this amazing building. Enrique has lived here all his life and I was privileged to be invite to his house, the drive to work is jaw dropping. He showed me a couple of his current projects, which included this beautiful building. Set on Roman foundations, this was once upon a time the dwelling of an important family of the city. Now it was privately owned and made into a number of flats.

However under the plaster were remains of wall decorations painted on a film of lime and there where stone arches and beamed ceilings to uncover. Other treasures where revealed like this post that had been imbedded in a later wall partition and medieval graffiti. I marveled at how the council, the conservationists and the owners agreed on what to keep and what to change. Enrique was a real mixture of bounding energy, eye for detail and a combination of respect for the old, but also keen on the new. Apart from this he is also a designer and craftsman in his own right and has won recognition for his innovations with plaster and glass.

His house is full of works by Enrique and his lovely wife obviously also has a big influence on his style. Their office was very sleek! Had to take a picture of it…

That took up all of Wednesday, it was such a hot day and I did not pay attention to my liquid intake that I really did let myself get dehydrated – silly girl!

On Thursday I went to see some one who has worked for Mark Whinstanley for eight years and Mark told me I would enjoy meeting Oscar. The bookbinding shop he has set up is wonderful!

It is a real show piece and quite unique for Madrid. The shop is also a gallery and you can see the workshop behind the counter.

As well as being a very good bookbinder he also makes exquisite sculptures out of ephemera like sea shells, bits of broken porcelain and recycled objects.

On Friday I went to see a foreigner living in Madrid. Anton is a very successful jewelry maker. He is South African, studied in the best jewelry college in Munich and ended up in Madrid. It was really interesting to get his perspective on Spanish craft and design at the moment.

Both Oscar and Anton agreed that Madrid was essentially conservative and that I would see more avant-garde in Barcelona.

The other interesting thing that happened to me is that I decided to see the new(ish) fashion museum. It is rather out in the sticks and it was another scorching afternoon, but worth a visit. I found out that the Centre of National Entomology was also based there. They are hoping to open a museum of their own in the net 3 to 4 years. This is the nearest thing I can describe the V&A as, it is looking at lifestyle throughout the ages in Spain. It really ought to be a combined with the Museum of Decoration and the Museum of Fashion.
I spoke to the Sub-director on the phone and although he said he was busy we ended up talking for over 40 minutes. We empathized over the demise of the traditional crafts in Spain, I had more hope than he about the future of them.

Before I knew it the week was over, I was picking up a new car and heading south to the Costa Blanca!

Galicia

2009-07-04T01:14:00.026+01:00

Gijon is a large town with a strong fishing industry and guess what - the day after I arrived it was Feria! And every one was out on the beach using these wonderful tents as refuge from the sun and wind. I was very tempted to find out if I could buy one. It was the town's Saint's day and there was an open air mass going on, for those who where interested, but most people where more interested in eating and drinking. If you went into a bar you would find yourself in front of a row of green bottles and a wet floor. This is because you can only purchase a bottle of cider, not a glass, and then the bar-tender pours the cider from a very impressive height so that lots of air gets into the drink, because it is best while bubbly, once the drink goes flat you throw the rest into a drain on the floor. A man very kindly let me have a glass, I was not prepared to drink a bottle as I was driving on to Galicia.

I stayed in two amazing places in the ¨Rivera Sacra¨ region. This area is real wine country and the vineyards are on very steep slopes. So, the villages are quite isolated and I am told that only 50 years ago you could see people in this region live authentically medieval lives. This is a region of Spain where a huge percentage of its population immigrated to other parts of the world. Life must have been quite tough.

I met some amazing makers, luckily for me, Galicia does produce a sort of ¨Crafts¨ magazine called ¨Obradoiro¨ and I found a lovely couple who where very happy to invite me over to their home and studios. Anna Champeney is a weaver with a curatorial background and is collecting samples of traditional textiles as well as producing beautiful products out of linen which, she has dyed herself. Her partner, Lluis Grau is a well-respected basket maker and a member of the Basket makers Association who use 6 Queen Square.

He is originally from Cataluña but moved up to this region with Anna and is now an expert on Galician as well as Catalan baskets.

I really enjoyed spending most of the day with them talking about the importance of craft as a social manifestation of culture and essential in creating a link between the future and the past.

They explained why Spain does not recognize craft as something of cultural or artistic value. Craft is subsidized and administered by the ministry of industry and not the ministry of Art and Culture. So they are only interested its profitability. I could go on.... but I wont. I am itching to write a few articles and talk to a few people back in Madrid.

Lluis showed me some lovely baskets made for very specific purposes. These have now either been substituted with plastic objects or the task for which they where made is no longer done. They sit around like rare exotic birds, saved from extinction by craftsmen like Lluis, who get pleasure merely out of their beauty and history.

There is a Basket whose shape fits perfectly on top of your shoulders and over your head, to pick grapes in the field with. You can see it in the photo on the floor.

The place where Anna and Lluis live is magical and the rent a cottage out where you can come and learn one of these crafts; check out the website: www.casa-dos-artesans.com

I enjoyed a wonderful wooden plate of spaghetti, washed down with a glass of wine from the neighbor’s vineyard.

The other maker I went to see was a young guy known as Elias of Gundivos. He is a ceramicist who uses one of the oldest methods of turning have come across. He is the last in his village to do this and has been renovating a medieval rectory to house his collection of old pots and give workshops. He also hopes to attract other ceramicists for lectures and conferences. He is very aware of the importance of this unique tradition and I met him just as he starts to launch himself outside of Galicia.

He showed me around this amazing building, with its fantastic courtyard where he gives his demonstrations. Inside, the wooden planks on the floor are at least 45cm wide and the stonewalls where at least 80cm thick.

He uses a low wooden turning table, which he turns with his foot. After firing the pot in a wooden stocked oven, he scorches the object in a fire and once it is black he waterproofs the inside by sprinkling resin powder, which melts and turns into a liquid while you line the inside. These pots and wine vessels are the closest thing to the way the Romans made their pots!

Elias considers himself a laborer, not even a craftsman and everything he does is for his village. To put it on the map. He is succeeding in that tourists now come to him. He does not go to craft fairs, however he sells his wonderful pots for as little as 7 euros.

I left this region determined to come back and do some more exploring. I was spending that last few days on the west coast writing up my interviews and organizing next week in Madrid.

Hitting the North Coast

2009-06-26T15:49:00.032+01:00

My stay in Leon was brief, I had long distances to cover to get here and to move on and reach the area known as Cantabria. The Parador in Leon is the largest I have stayed in, yes; the building in the photograph is the hotel. One of the reasons I wanted to come here was because I would coincide with a craft fair. It was a good opportunity to meet several makers at once from different areas of the region. There is a real mixture of standards and traditional crafts sit uncomfortably next to contemporary ones, with very little fusion between the two. A large percent of makers are what I would describe as hippies of the 80s - I don't mean this in a derogative way. In a lot of cases, it is thanks to them that some of these crafts are surviving.

I left early the next day excited to head in to the mountains and, I was rewarded with some great views. On the way down to the coast I had to take some nail-biting bends ... and it began to rain very hard and then there was hail... all quite exciting.

The landscape has changed dramatically from hot and flat to green and lush. This is a Spain I do not know and I was looking forward to arriving at Santillana del Mar, where I was going to stay for two nights. The buildings are made of a soft yellow stone and there are wooden verandas. I arrived at another feria!! The village was full of children and they where being chased by these giants who would run after them beating them with brooms. They where also letting off a lot of firecrackers and everyone was having a great time. When that came to an end the music started and the BBQ was ready - free food and beer - all paid be the local council.

My mother says that maybe paying for Spaniards to have a good time keeps the national health costs down!

Santillana is very picturesque, but it relies heavily on tourism. I looked for local crafts but did not like anything I saw except some pottery, which ironically, when I asked the potter where he got the style from he told me that he had seen it in England! I bought a piece as my souvenir of this place.
I did make a trip to Comillas a town further down the coast. To spend a few hours on the beach and have some lunch. There where lots of people out enjoying the sunshine and there was a triathlon going on.

I sat in a bar overlooking the whole bay and ate baby cuttle fish and croquets and drank a pineapple juice, while I watched fit men running down the beach to do a long swim in the cold sea.

Oh, Comillas also has a building designed by Gaudi, it is called 'El Capricho' and you can enjoy eating there, it is now a posh restaurant. I preferred Comillas to Santillana, it was real, were as the village I was staying at felt like a theme park.

After resting and catching up with work, I was moving on to Gijon and then to Galicia.

Zamora and its Outskirts

2009-06-26T15:48:00.018+01:00

When I got to Zamora I found out that they are celebrating a Feria. Ferias happen all over Spain because every village, town and city has a patron, or Saint watching over everyone. So, once a year you have to give thanks and celebrate!

I arrived on Wednesday evening and the party would start at noon the next day, so I had one morning to find and interview a craftsman. I headed for the Tourist Information Office and explained what I was after. There was a guy there who was just visiting the office, he turned out to work for the local government and also happened to be a sculptor. He offered to introduce me to a couple of people and then proceeded to give me a guided tour of the town. Zamora turns out to have over 20 Romanesque churches and it is also the place where El Cid came from.

The Parador I was staying at was an amazing building; sometimes they are one of the most important buildings in the area and worth a visit even if you are not staying in them.

The following morning I headed to a woodcarving workshop run by Jose Perez and his father. Jose is only 36, he finished a 5-year course in Salamanca and was teaching others by the time he was 20. He learnt the trade from his father and between them do all the large commissions in the area. With so many religious institutions around, 90% of their work is either restoring or making wooden floats that are carried around the village at Easter times. These things are enormous! In Zamora there is a museum dedicated to them.
Sadly Jose was handing out end of term grades that morning, so I spoke to his father, who also had a pair of students in the workshop doing an internship. Here you can see him cutting out a design and on the right you can see some panels Jose has carved for a door. They also, from time to time, make pieces of furniture or mirrors for clients, but they have enough work for the next three years!
I was impressed with the quality, but it was obvious that this workshop is healthy and busy because of the unique circumstances it finds itself in. I did ask if they had been involved in the restoration of an important crib in a nearby village and Miguel said no, some restorers from Madrid had be involved with that project.

The course Jose took in Salamanca has now been shortened to 3 years.

Another craft in Zamora, which I have not seen anywhere else is papier mache dolls. Apparently a couple make them and since leaving Zamora I have also seen them in Leon, so they must be doing well, but I find them a bit creepy. I took this image of them in a store and they have an 'retro' feel about them, that is perhaps appealing to people.

Instead I went to the Museum of Ethnology - which I highly recommend. It is only 4 years old and sponsored by 'Caja de Espana', a large Spanish bank. There are three floor and each concentrates on a theme. The top floor was all about clay, used in buildings and pottery. The second was all about traditional customs and the first was about home life and artifacts. On my visit the museum also had an exhibition of sculpture by a modern artist. His pieces where displayed among the permanent collection and where directly linked with the permanent collection. It was the first time they had done this and I intend to speak to the Director to ask him how it has been received.

I said good buy to Zamora and made another detour for a tiny village west of where I was meant to be heading. The lady at the tourist information office told me that the traditional costumes of this region of Extremadura where made in 'Calbajares de Alba'. When I got there I thought there was no way there could be a workshop of any kind in this dusty village in the middle of nowhere! I asked the attendant at the petrol station and was told that that did not exist anymore, but just as I was about to get into my car, she said 'wait lets ask the village idiot' - I swear that is what she said! Anyway, this poor individual was walking along the other side of the road and came over when called, she said yes there where still some ladies working at the workshop, so I went looking for them. I found them; Maria Jesus and Mercedes, and boy was I in for a treat!

The work is so labour intensive that it takes 5 women 5 months to produce a skirt. It is a one-off and will cost about 1,300 euros. These skirts are used on special occasions and handed down in the family. The building was build in the 60s to support the future of this craft. However, there are only 5 ladies left and they are all retired, three of them currently not working because of family responsibilities or ill health. They can´t see a future and have no one to teach. I think the location is a big factor, but I came away passionately wanting to save this craft if I can.
You can learn more about the town on the following website - all in Spanish of course...
Calbajares de Alba (Zamora) www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cabana/6344/PRINCIPAL.HTM
you have to look up "Traje Carbajalino" on the left hand side.

I have not put the best pictures in - you will have to come to the exhibition of photographs I will put up at the Guild when I return.

Like the bullfighting costumes, the skills needed to keep this traditions alive, have to be used in a modern context or they will disappear, and when you think that rich people are quite willing to spend 3 to 5 thousand pounds on a mass produced handbag or watch, you have to wonder where the logic lies?...

Apart from the influence of marketing, of course.

It doesn't help that I was told by Maria Jesus that she did not want me to photograph some of the pieces and that she did not want more work, she was too old to teach and just saw it as a hobby. Mercedes, who is more active and sees the importance of what they are doing, explained that unless there was a regular income for the 5 ladies, you could not expect them to continue or show interest in passing their skills on. You can´t make a living out of it.

I said good buy with the sun going down and leaving a trail of red dust on the road.

Extremadura is so rich in crafts and manual skills, but feels like the third world, maybe that is why they still exist? I wonder how the recession will effect them, so far I have seen little evidence.

On the way to Salamanca

2009-06-23T09:55:00.024+01:00

Leaving Plasencia in the middle of the afternoon meant I had plenty of time to roam the countryside before arriving at my next Parador. On impulse I had bought a postcard a few days earlier of one of the largest Roman bridges in Europe. It happened to be quite near by, (well, more like an hour's detour), so I decided to go and see it as well as stop in a village where another well-respected potter lived.

He is the last to use a technique of encrusting designs into the pots. Even more interesting to me was the fact that he prepared his own clay, he knew where to find it, calculate it's quality and vary the heat accordingly. Apparently this region has some of the best clay in the world in terms of resisting high temperatures.

I enjoyed driving in this very rural and pretty barren part of Spain. When I got to the bridge, I was very impressed that it is still in use 2007 years after it was built.

What are so amazing are the extremes you find within an hours drive of Palencia. To the west is a valley where the best cherries in Spain grow, throughout most of the summer; they are the size of small plums! In the Jewish town of Hervás, we saw people selling things from their allotments, such as these wonderful yellow string beans; I thought they hadn't seen the light. Hervás' was a medieval Jewish town. Its narrow, steep streets are lined with houses made with adobe and chestnut-wood frameworks, their roofs plastered with Arab tiles to shield the wind. The whole community was evicted during the inquisition apart from those who were willing to convert to Christianity.

Only a short drive away is the national park of 'Monfrague', famous for its vultures and eagles. This is wild and arid looking land and you can imagine a cowboy ride up through the mid day haze at any minute. Houses are built of flint stone and shade is only found in man-made structures.

Lucky for me, my family took me to a natural watering hole where the locals cool off. We sat by the river, watching adults behave like children and I tasted the local cheese called CASADA - sort of like a fondue thing, which you just mop up with bread.
On the way to Salamanca I stoped at a village called 'Banos de Montemayor', where I had been told I would find people working with whicker. I was too late, the last of them had retired a couple of years ago and had opened a shop selling whicker-ware from china, the shop was called "Shanghai".
I got to Salamanca late, my hotel was just on the other side of the river and I could not believe the view when I pulled back the curtains.
I thought I would list some web-links on the people I have seen. However, there is really very little I can show. To get a taste of how behind the craft industry is in promoting itself have a look at this video which I found on the local press web-page: http://www.extremaduraaldia.tv/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=&task=videodirectlink&id=3155

Zafra, Merida y Trujillo

2009-06-18T11:52:00.035+01:00

I have now left Andalusia behind and am in the land of the Conquistadors.

Cordoba to Merida is a long drive, so I stopped at a town called Zara, not knowing anything about it, I was charmed by the lovely main square and I even found a potter who told me how there used to be a whole bunch of potteries, but he was the last. I bought the bowl on the left, oops.

Walking passed a half opened door, I looked in and saw this entrance hall. The Arab influence is still very evident in these parts. They say that the province of Extremadura is like this up until Merida and then it changes quite abruptly. I will let you know.

The potter also showed me these drinking vessels and said young people no longer used them and that really people only bought them for sentimental reasons or because the tourists thought they where quaint. I like the pattern on them, made simply by rubbing a stone over the damp surface of the clay.

In Merida I walked by the market, still busy at 12 noon. It was incredibly hot and I made a mad visit to the Roman theatre, but had it to myself.

After a lunch of chickpea soup followed by grilled fish and salad, finished with a small flan and a coffee I had to take a nap like everyone else.

Merida is famous for its Roman ruins and is very modern museum, built by a famous Spanish architect called 'Maneo'. The building is fantastic and the collection has some pretty amazing things in it too, unfortunately the website is not very helpful.

In 1998 the province of Extemadura began awarding one person the title of 'Master craftsman' every two year. Luckily for me the six men named Masters since then where exhibiting their work for the first time at a show in Merida. I arranged to interview one of them, Lorenzo Vinagre at his work-shop on the outskirt of the town.

He and his brother have a shop in town. Lorenzo is the 'craftsman' and his brother Juanma is the 'businessman'. Like so many craftsmen in Spain he learned his craft at home. He can produce all the traditional, functional items people used to use, but also has his own contemporary take on them and is now working on commission with architects, doing murals in hotels and bars. To supplement his income he makes reproductions of roman clay objects that are sold at the museum, with the help of mentally disabled men he knows from working at the local asylum.

Again, I was told that traditional objects did not sell, where not used... so it was rather satisfying to see a drinking vessel (called a "botín" in Spanish) being used quite a lot at the local breakfast haunt in Trujillo. The thick clay keeps the water cool and the object is far more attractive than any plastic bottle.

I was there stuffing my face with churros again. Trujillo is magical, there is something slightly oppressive about it, with all the stone and churches built with the money the conquistadors brought back from the new world. This is the birthplace of Pissarro, the most famous of the Spanish adventurers and also one of the most ruthless.

You can imagine why, this is a small village built on a rock etched in a harsh, dry landscape. Tough people, with the options of going either into farming or the church.

I found the last whicker worker in Trujillo, four generations and he would be the last. I loved watching him work and admired the work of his father. He was very happy to explain how the tools work and how the whicker is soaked and toasted and how it is split. He can't compete with plastic objects and the Chinese market, but showed me how their products are of an inferior quality to his. He was currently mending some chairs he had made 20 years earlier for a bar.

The bull head was a replica commissioned by a well known family in these parts, who had known Picasso, there is a famous picture of the painter holding a whicker bull head over his head, and they wanted a copy.

Before leaving I had a wander around and saw this tempting window display. A lot of the typical sweets here are made by local nuns, you can go directly to the four or five convents in Trujillo and buy it from them. You wont see the women, you simply ring a bell, state what you want, put the money in the rotating window and then wait for the packages to appear. The nuns have all taken a vow of silence and seclusion.

Time to head for Caceres.

Ubeda and Cordoba

2009-06-17T14:34:00.022+01:00

Picked up the car, left Granada and headed into the heart of Andalusia, HOT! I am staying at a lovely hotel in a tiny village called Manjibar, between Jaen and Ubeda. I wasted most of the afternoon trying to connect my Mac to the WiFi. Only place it seemed to work was by the bar! To relax, I made the most of the hotel spa - sorry, no pics. of that.

Next day I drove to Ubeda, worth a visit: "The village was founded in the 9th century by Abd al-Rahman II and it was called Ubbadat. It became one of the most important cities in al-Andalus due to its handicrafts and trade. Its walls were built in 852. Kings Alfonso VI and Alfonso VII tried to conquer the village, with different degrees of success. Almoravids and Almohads conquered it successively in the 11th and 12th centuries. King Fernando III finally re-conquered the city in 1234.
The city took part in the siege of Algeciras in 1344 and some years later it was set fire to and suffered the killings ordered by Muhammad V. The many fights in Baeza led the Catholic Kings to order the walls and towers of the fortress to be destroyed in 1503.
San Juan de la Cruz died in this city. Ubeda has received the name of City of Andalusian Renaissance due to the quantity and quality of the monuments belonging to this artistic period, though it is also quite representative of the Plateresque style."

I had the privilege of interviewing 'Tito Martinez' and his sons. Nationally recognized artists in their field, due, I think, to the evident duel talent for craft and commerce. The shop is never closed and all the family helps out. They make the most of every bit of publicity and the huge shop they have is in a beautiful old house. It is part museum and part workshop and I spent such a good time there I ended up buying something!
Which I had promised myself I would not do, (as I have to lug it around for 8 more weeks), but I was so impressed with their knowledge of traditional styles as well as current events and connections in the ceramic world. The son is finishing a degree in Philosophy at the moment.
Here is the clan and a picture of Tito Jr about to show me how it is done.

After a lazy night and a fairly lazy morning - I hardly ate the day before so decided to go to a cafe before leaving and pigged out on toast and tomato spread swallowed down with a thick milky coffee. Next stop, Cordoba, my mother's birthplace and home to an aunt and five of her seven children. I was looking forward to seeing them all. It has been over 20 years since I was last here, but families are close-knit and I knew I would get a warm welcome.
Recently Obama said he wished the world were more like Cordoba. He was referring to the fact that Jews, Christians and Arabs lived together in Cordoba harmoniously for many hundreds of years. Ironically it was the liberal Arabs who encouraged this when they were the masters - they employed Christians as high ranking officers in their courts. Then the Christians took over, and the new lords where less tolerant. The Spanish have only started to acknowledge their Moorish cultural heritage in the last 20 years.

I was once again extremely lucky in finding exceptional artisans during my three days here. I could have spoken to more if I did not need to catch up with so many relatives!
The Gentleman on the left is a leather-worker; so exceptional I am going to write a separate entry on him! And below is an example of filigree silver. Cordoba is mainly famous for leather and jewelry. However, there are hardly any traditional craftsmen left. Only two 'houses' do filigree jewelry, which is like embroidery with silver threads, and no attempt is being made to incorporate this process in a more modern way. I was unable to speak to either of the workshops.

My aunt was once almost betrothed to the leading leather worker, but she did not like his damaged eye, due to an accident with a sibling. I went twice to the shop but both times it was closed. I did see my cousin's husband's father, who is a self taught painter and now appreciated for his traditional style. His work is seen on all the annual posters for the fairs and the open air cinema season people enjoy here so much.

I also met a wonderful old master, called Rafael Centella Palomo, a furniture maker who showed me his best pieces - the ones he wont sell. He would love to teach his craft, but as he does not have the qualifications to teach, his experience will not be passed on. There should be a way of allowing old masters to teach, without making them fill out papers or take exams or pay for heath and safety certificates. Here in Spain if someone decides to have an apprentice they have to pay all the costs including national insurance. These crafts men have lived frugal lives and barely have enough saved up for a decent pension.

Rafael has no children and sleeps in the huge bed his father made as a wedding gift to his wife. The small flat is full of wonderful pieces of furniture, chess sets, walking sticks and boxes made of scented woods like sycamore and sandalwood.

The last place I went to was the “Zoco”, a group of workshops for contemporary craftsmen in a beautiful old courtyard, subsidized by the local council, but most of the workshops where boarded up and there where no traditional master craftsmen to be seen. I spoke to a lady called Carmen Lucena who calls herself a 'creative ceramicist'. She was up to date with modern technology and chaired a small exhibition group. However, she admitted that there was a lot of talk and little action coming from the council, they had been promising to help out with a “Zoco” website, but due to cut back and recession this had not happened yet.
Cordoba still has a lot of artisans, but there seems to be little dialogue between the different generations and and they are either hampered by a lack of commercial knowledge, or a lack of technical expertise.

I have one last delicious lunch with my aunt and cousins and leave Cordoba reluctantly in the blistering heat.

Granada

2009-06-12T21:56:00.028+01:00

Before I go on to Granada, I must mention that my aunt taught me how to m ake flan!...

and Sunday breakfast was my favorite - Churros and coffee.

I hope you don't mind the chronological diary of culinary experiences, but food is very much part of the culture here.

Granada was a lovely temperature and as I arrived in the afternoon, I was able to take an early evening stroll.

A shop was open selling lace and embroidery and I asked if these skills where taught locally, they replied that there where some courses on offer at the local school round the corner...

I got to look inside this School of 'Arte y Oficio' which translates as a school for ‘creative work skills’. Chatting to the doorman, it turns out he is a retired metalworker and uses the studio to make things for friends. He was currently making a coat rack.

Dinner consisted of beer and a free 'Tapa', followed by a sample of the local chorizo.

The city is littered with workshops and studios. I had not organized any interviews in advance. Not a problem.

At the tourist office I explained what I was doing and was immediately directed to Esperanza Romero. A ceramic artist with a foundation course at Clerkenwell and degree at the RA, she also does etching and tile installations.

Other people I interviewed where Maureen Booth, a printing artists, she and her husband who have lived in Spain for over 40 years. They took me out for a fantastic lunch, which included this dish of rise with fish stock and parsley.

Ramon Rubio, head of conservation at the Alhambra – was absolutely amazing, I am full of admiration for what he has achieved over the last 20 years. He is 'the' expert in Arabic plaster and totally self taught.

Murina Mendoza, one of the last leather workers in Granada,

and Rafael Morano, someone I was dreaming of meeting and who then happened to cross my path, literally. We ended up at the bar, drinking wine and talking about putting the world to right.

One of the most revered Guitar makers in Granada!

The Last thing I did before leaving this wonderful city was to go up to the Alhambra for a night visit, recommended to me by Mr. Rubio. I chose not to take the camera, sometimes it is good to leave everything behind and enjoy the moment.

Next I head up to Ubeda and Cordoba.

While in Madrid...

2009-06-12T11:26:00.024+01:00

Time goes quickly when you are having fun! Have already met some amazing people... and am really enjoying getting into the Spanish way of life.
On arrival I was fed - a natural and instinctive element of life on the continent. Delicious fried fish and the typical dessert of Madrid, fresh cheese with quince, (see pic.1). The day I went to see to the National Museum of Decorative Arts - a small and rather old fashioned museum compared to our wonderful V&A, but with some gems!
(pic. 2).

I had three interview of which the last was actually a maker - one of the most respected Bullfighting costume makers in the world. Whatever your feelings towards the sport may be, you can not deny that the outfits are amazing. I spent a very happy couple of hours sitting amongst the seamstresses and talking to Señor Antonio. He was a charmer and more than happy to talk about the future of his trade.

His staff of 12 have no formal training except one girl from France who came over after graduating from a textile degree. There is no such thing in Spain. This is all about to change however with the Treaty of Bologna where all applied art courses can lead to a degree with the same kudos as any other subject. This however omits to address the 'old Masters', or highly skilled craftsmen and women who have neither the time or wish to go back to school. They end up missing out on some of the benefits now available, because they don't have the "qualifications" required! I need to look into this further and make sure all my facts are correct, if anyone can enlighten me further - please feel free!

The following day I went to the outskirts of Segovia where the National Centre for Glass is. It was brought to my attention by Katherine Coleman, who teaches there. I was really impressed with the set up and although it has its problems, due to the fact that it is funded by the government, I really hope it continues to attract the best glass artists in the world, which it is at the moment.

It has four roles; as a museum, as a school for advanced glass students and for unemployed workers, manufacturers and chandeliers repairers and as a research centre.

Here you can see the chandeliers that have been mended.

And here is a student paining on panels of glass.

Definitely worth a visit, for more information have a look at their website, although you might need a little help with the language: www.fcnv.es
(I shall be adding all links to the web database for apprenticeships.)

That's all I could fit in before leaving Madrid.
Next Granada.

AWG events of interest

2009-05-18T10:21:00.006+01:00

ART IN MIND at the Brick Lane Gallery
until the 25th May
is showing works by Brother Claire McDermott
196 Brick Lane, London E1 6SA
www.thebricklanegallery.com

Illustration Cubboard
a gallery specializing in book illustrators work will be hosting two exhibition of interest:
20th May - 13th June
Angela Barrett - Sylvie & the Songman
and in the Autumn, 20th October - 13th November
John Lawrence & Treasure Island
for more information see their website:
www.illustrationcupboard.com
22 Bury Street, London SW1 6AL
Tel: 0207 976 1727

June itinerary in Spain

2009-05-18T08:50:00.005+01:00

I can now reveal my movements for the month of June. Hotels are booked, car hired and contacts made with the first few organisations and makers!
I start of in fare Madrid, then head south to Granada, from hence I pick up my steed and head inland through Jaen towards Cordoba where my maternal liniage lies. I have family, too many to mention, who I shall break bread with, but the road trip is packed and I move on swiftly into Extremadura, land of the conquistadores, dry, arid, poor and untouched. The lesser known route to Santiago de Compostella, also know as the 'route of silver':
Merida, Trujillo, Guadalupe and Plasencia:

Plasencia

Plasencia is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres and part of the region of Extremadura (at the Douro's river 'extreme') in Western Spain. Population (±) 41,000 (2006). On the bank of the Jerte River, in the Extremaduran province of Caceres, Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route, or Ruta de la Plata. Since the 15th century, the noblemen of the region began to move to Plasencia, defining its current appearance. Palaces, ancestral homes and significant religious buildings make up a unique old quarter..

You can look up all these towns on wikepedia if you want more information on them.

I then drive into the province of Castilla y León and will see the great cities of Salamanca, Zamora with its 24 Romanesque churches, and the famous gothic cathedral of Leon. Not too much time for sight seeing as I will push on over the Picos de Europa and into Cantabria by the 25th June. I shall stay for a couple of nights just outside Santander in the lovely town of Santillana and then head west along the coast to Gijon and Oviedo in Asturias. My final week is in Galicia, where I shall stay in some amazing Paradors:
Villafranca del Bierzo
Monforte de Lemos
Santo Estevo in Orense
Cambados
Baiona
If you have not heard of the Spanish Paradors, check out the website www.paradores-spain.com to see where they are and what they look like.

The first leg of my journey ends here on the western shores near Vigo. I return to Madrid on the 5th July, but I intend to update this site regularly to share with you the people I meet and things I see.

Going to Spain for June and July!!

2009-04-15T11:52:00.005+01:00

I am going on a road trip to interview and photograph Master Craftsmen and women in their studios. On the back of our book project and the apprenticeship project, I thought it would be interesting to see how crafts are faring in other European countries. I was awarded a grant by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and am being sponsored by the "Paradores" of Spain.

It is particularly gratifying that being Spanish, I will be able to interview everyone in their native language. You will be able to follow my trip on this blog.

Leaving date is June 3rd and returning in mid August! Itinerary to follow shortly.

Exhibitions and Events Summer 2009

2009-04-01T14:09:00.002+01:00

ANTIQUES FOR THE FUTURE IV

Norman Adams @ Sotheby's; a selling exhibition of contemporary furniture.

15 - 28th April 2009

34-35 New Bond Street

sothebys.com

ROMILLY SAUMAREZ SMITH: Bookbinding for Eileen Hogan

The Victoria & Albert Museum

on the National Art Library Landing

2 May - 2 August

SALLY SCOTT; A WORKING LIFE

A lecture on behalf of the Guild of Glass Engravers

at the Art Workers Guild

Saturday 9th May

Tickets are £12 for non members and must be purchased in advance.

SPRING SHOW

@ the View Art Gallery in Bristol

showing new works by Bro. Martha Winter

15th April - 30th May

www.ViewArtGallery.co.uk

ART & MEMORY

3rd April - 1st November

Exhibition of new work by 54 contemporary letter carvers, curated by The Memorial Arts Charity. The exhibition is set in the landscape of West Dean Gardens and Arboretum, West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex.

www.westdean.org

Art Workers in the Evening Standard

2009-03-17T14:44:00.002Z

An article written by Katrina Burroughs for the Evening Standard appeared on the Homes and Property section on 11th March. Titled: 'The modern masters of craft', she goes on to say "You can find some of our finest craftspeople through The Art Workers Guild."

HIDDEN away, in a little known square in London, is an ancient company of craftspeople, called The Art Workers Guild, who hand-make unique architectural features such as carvings and furniture.

Founded in the late 19th century by Arts and Crafts luminaries, including designers Walter Crane and Lewis F Day, it celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. The guild nurtures some of our finest creative skills and encourages the makers of hand-crafted, unique designs. To help spread the word about this very British institution and enable the general public to discover ways to buy quality handcrafted goods the guild has plunged into the 21st century with its own, very attractive, website at www.artworkers guild.org. This now allows the guild to share its secrets with the general public and enables you to commission unique goods: from blacksmiths to quiltmakers, who will design something for you at affordable prices.

Full article can be downloaded from the site
es.homesandproperty.co.uk/march.html

Queen Elizabeth the Q.M. by Philip Jackson

2009-03-17T14:15:00.006Z

The George VII Q.M.'s Memorial on The Mall was unveiled on the 24th February. Designed by past Master Donald Buttress and Donald Insall Associates, Brother Philip Jackson was selected to make a statue of the Q.M. He, Past Master Buttress and Master Alison Jensen where present at the unveiling.

Please see article below for further information:
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/25/queen-mother-statue

Events and Exhibitions March - April 2009

2009-03-17T13:34:00.004Z

Spring Greens
Original handmade prints by Richmond Printmakers
@ The Penny School Gallery, Kingston College, 55 Richmond Road
17-28th March
richmondprintmakers.co.uk

New English Art Club
@ Geedon Gallery, Jaggers, Fingringhoe, Colchester
4th - 19th April

25 photographs by Paul Nash (1889-1946)
@ Abbott & Holder, 30 Museum Street, London WC1A
14th March - 11th April

Alexander Creswell
@ Portland Gallery, 8 Bennet St, London SW1
19th March - 9th April
www.portlandgallery.com

21st Century Furniture - The Arts & Crafts Legacy
@ The Millinery Works, 87 Southgate Road, London N1
29th March - 26th April
www.millineryworks.co.uk

WELCOME TO THE BLOG!

2008-04-24T16:00:00.012+01:00

The Guild is a fantastic, atmospheric venue where lectures, exhibitions and events take place all the time, but as we are busy people in a global village, I thought I would start to share some of the great stuff that crosses my desk, I hear on the grapevine or simply inspires me. For public events at the Guild please see our official website:

www.artworkersguild.org

Hope you enjoy and feedback is always appreciated!