Willow gardener.

It must seem like I've been missing in action since I last wrote on this little blog, and you would be right, although I'd prefer 'weaving in action'!

Here is my friend the blackbird who has been a regular visitor to the workshop this year singing for his supper, indulging in my sandwich left overs and he sometimes gets a look in before I do!

In the lower half of the image is a willow gardener designed for a new garden center in Aberdeen, he's near completion here.
The second image is a close up of the weave and then finally the installation which was timed during a blizzard which hit across the East Coast and raised the bar from what was already an epic road trip from down here in the Midlands to a Real adventure, bailing off the main car logged tracks at times to investigate some of the more slippy scenic routes .

Willow man

Weave

Does my bum look big in this?

11ft high gardening Willow Man, Aberdeen.

Bathgate retirement home.

Towards the end of September we were invited up to Bathgate near Edinburgh to create a woven screen in a retirement home together with the Global Action Plan (A charity that promotes sustainable living) and their sponsor at present Sky television.
They gave us a cavalry of enthusiastic volunteers which meant that over four days we whittled and weaved together a fabulous screen from willow, hazel and sweet chestnut. They were unstoppable!
We camped out of the town up on the hill, Beecraigs country park.
With the solstice wind blowing hard, Spencer (my willow weaving colleague) and I took the trail to Cairnpapple a very old burial mound that in deep darkness has to be experienced. It's the original earth works.

Such a warm crew, big thanks to Tom, Anne and David, all at Sky and me old mate Spencer Jenkins, who on the return journey took responsibility for all the driving so I could rest my bones in time for a weekend teaching at Spring woods!
Thanks all.

Wisley's glass house echoed in Willow.

Over the summer the education team at Wisley have been developing a 'natural' play area for their younger visitors designed with creative investigative play in mind.
I was asked to contribute to this area so got to work designing and building some play structures that echo their breathtaking glass house.
And here they are from rough sketches to fully installed, foundations dug and fixings tightened.

Thanks to Art Fabrications for their skill and consistent support with the steel works.

Rough sketches.

A willow den.

The willow tunnel.

The twist in the tail!

Some close-knit weave to help withstand the kids attention..

Working the willow - Part 1

As part of the Somerset arts week in early September this year, Musgroves the wonderful willow growers pulled together a collection of international willow work. From the very solid functional vessels to the more contemporary, sculptural and experimental pieces weavers came together for 'Working the willow'. All of which drew from a wealth of makers who at some stage have purchased their quality materials from Mike and Ellen Musgrove (I reckon over 150 makers contributed!).

The variety of colour, technique and beauty was overwhelming, some of my personal favorites were that of artist/maker Sarah Webb, coiled work, bound with jewelry wire which was very precise and flowing. Joe hogans work also really stood out for me as well, a stunning 'closed pod' worked onto ash-wood, showing both disciplined and anatomical traits. Also, Lizzie Fareys wall hanging of wagtail sketches really captured my imagination .

Alongside the exhibition I ran two 1 day workshops sharing some of my techniques which proved to be popular, the sun shone the willow was very local and clients were spotted leaving with arms full of their own creations.

There will be more dates coming soon for sculptural workshops 2010, watch this space!


Of course my work had to be fork-lifted into place, proving that Big can be beautiful too!
My Hanging Nest seat is constructed from tightly woven steamed willows around a mild steel frame.

Herrick Primary School revisited

One year on from completing the first stage of this project I was asked to add some important features to the Amphitheatre:
60 metres of gorgeous sturdy green oak seating for the audience
And for the performers a clean dry platform/stage area made from recycled rubber matting, the area is tough enough to be stood on, trod on, danced and skipped on without carving into the mud! In time the grass will grow through to help blend with the natural surroundings.

Thanks going out to Peter wood for his help on this project.

St.Martin's outdoor classroom.

My old secondary school, St. Martin's, have been busy building a vegetable garden with raised beds. As a teaching facility they want to make this veg plot a fundamental part of the school life, getting in touch with the process of growing, the year cycles/seasons and of course, their soon to be full and very healthy bellies.
I was made up to be invited to build an outdoor classroom for them! Some lovely oak benches a teaching table and a couple of huge cobwebs to screen the space and provide a trellis for some lovely climbing plants has helped transform the space.
The teaching staff intend to cook and demonstrate with the produce outside in this new space and invite guest chefs too. There is even talk of building a cob bread oven to bake their own super fresh pizzas! Wow! Count me in!
It has been great working here as I have so many good memories of schooldays.

Thank you to Doreen Rose for her patience and enthusiasm .

Westonbirt's 'Festival of the tree'

The 'Festival of the Tree' 2009 took place last week at Westonbirt Arboretum.
In 2007 I had created a huge willow maze based on the growth rings of the tree it was so loved by the little people that this year I returned and built them a new one.

This years festival was based on climate change and I chose to celebrate the humble bumble bee and made a honeycomb maze from a sweet chestnut framework and visitors were then encouraged to pitch in and help with the willow weaving.

Over the bank holiday weekend I ran workshops helping visitors create woven 'bits n bats' for them to take home. There was never a dull moment, at one point I was even asked for my autograph by a lady who explained she'd visited Kew Gardens (blog to come soon!) the previous day, seen my work and was very pleased to then see me at the festival, the day after that I was bitten by a small dog keeping my ego in check!

It's a great event made better by the volume of live making and doings of 12 chainsaw artists, sundry turners, axemen, furniture makers and story tellers. All very inspiring.

Basket making at Spring Wood

Set within the beautiful Spring Wood in North Leicesteshire/South Derbyshire lies the Greenwood Days centre where all things green and crafty are produced from pole-lathing to coracle building, long bows to rustic furniture and of course basket making!
The centre is set within the Staunton Harold Estate nr Melbourne, South Derbyshire ran by Peter Wood a fine chair maker and evidently an extraordinary soup maker too!

Twice yearly I tutor a simple basket making course, it runs over two days and is a great introduction to the sport, not only do clients leave with their own wares, but also the knowledge to continue their newly found craft.

Now, although we are talking about some seriously ancient technology here, the centre has it's own website and there is a basket making course running in September this year (26th and 27th) with a few places left, so if you're feeling the urge to get involved, click on the link and reserve your space now.

Below is the result of our last session from the 17th and 18th of August. Everyone from curious folk entering the woodland to obsessive weavers in just two days!

Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire.

I was recently commissioned to build this gorgeous little pear on site at the Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire. This is home to the well known Art in Action festival where some of the UKs finest makers get together for a giant exhibition .

The pear stands proud opposite Pear Tree Restaurant, so parents can indulge in their fabulous home made cakes and pies, of which I can recommend the apple pie an all time favourite of mine mmm......pie... whilst the children of course can play in the pear tunnel!

During it's construction I ran workshops sharing the weaving with visitors to the garden, then on day two I was fully absorbed in the calming surroundings weaving until nightfall.
The evening before the garden hosted an outdoor play of Wind in the Willows, next year it's The Railway Chidren, I'm booking early!

What a Treat! I was invited back to RHS Wisley for another residency throughout spring.
This year I brought together a drift of woven bullrushes, a village of giant pine cone dens and a Huge acorn producing a sapling:

- Week one of the Easter holidays I worked with visitors on site in Seven Acres, weaving the bullrushes and acorn components and with the weather on our side we were able later install these soon after, near the Pagoda which were then framed with a hazel loop border made from some of Wisley's own hazel freshly coppiced on site!

- Week Two of the holidays I worked in the Pinetum, creating pine cone dens which were then installed inbetween some very tall Scotch Pines towards Howards Field.

All the pieces seemed well recieved by Wisley visitors young and old.
It was also great to see some faces from last years residency.

Special thanks to RHS Wisleys education team, logistics onsite : Simon and Andrew, Art Fabrications and everyone who came along and paid such high praise!