One last brew.

One last brew as we eagerly await my father-in-law with his machine to load the new works for The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010.

Next to the iPhone, the 'Kelly kettle' or storm kettle pictured below, has been a tool that fits directly into my life and has become a reliable friend... and of course, if I had to choose between the two?? Kelly kettle would win! Where would we be without a brew?!
A chance to stand back and reflect on where we have been and where we are going, whilst keeping us warm and quenching a thirst.
The Kettle is powered by fire, so also soothes my pyro-tendencies in a controlled environment.
If you haven't seen one it's a device of two halves, the bottom pan contains a small fire, - dried leaves and Willow offcuts are perfect! - and the top section is basically a double skinned chimney/flask that holds the water, the heat passes through the chimney boiling the water in anything from two to five minutes depending on how dry your kindling is.
Such a charming creation compact ,robust and works in all weathers . Don't leave your cork in though while brewing unless you have a soap on a string handy!

We're loaded, strapped down and ready to go.

A 4am start and arriving at the showground at 7.30.
Here are the components being lifted into place, directed by Pete Loramer who personally worked on the steel frame for this giant sculpture.

Another piece being lifted into place guided by Andrew Langley MD of Artfabs and Pete who I have strategically shot here behind the sculpture so as not to distract from it's beauty - they're not looking their best at this time of the morning!

Here it is, The RHS Tree of knowledge, designed for the Royal Horticultural Society's first ever garden which sits within the continuous learning area in the Grand Pavilion .
The tree ties in with the year of biodiversity and we have invited members and celebrities to share their words of wisdom/messages that encourage life in the garden. All of which are to be written on leaves and attached to the tree... Still there's a lot to do before then!
Jeremy Irons, Chris Beardshaw, Sarah Greene, Julian Fellowes and David Bellamy are amongst the contributors.

At this point I had been onsite weaving for two days and true to his word as always Leigh arrived with our bench and it's two makers.. Sue Tranter and Gary Ramsden, both of which are students at Warwickshire college studying furniture making.
They both embraced my design and the opportunity to create a piece for the show and to put the final piece towards their end of year project. Problem solving, decision making, and communicating throughout resulted in a final curved bench that is absolutely Gorgeous!

Piecing it together...

and it's comfy too!

I also enlisted the help of my friend Steve who has been the plants man for all of the BBC Gardeners World Live features that I've been involved with.
He's on the Kew diploma now. Chrissie offered her help too, which was quite a relief to have them there and great to watch them reacting to the sculpture with confidence .

Made in Leicestershire

I am exhibiting work at the Ferrers gallery renowned for it's British contemporary craft exhibits on the Staunton Harold Estate.

The exhibition simply called 'Made in Leicestershire', features selected artists from the said www.madeinleicestershire.org.uk.
The venue is fantastic situated within the courtyard of the Ferrers Centre for arts and crafts. I've run workshops there annually for the past few years .
I've created a gourd pod here woven in willow which sits centrally indoors, yeah I know, indoors! on the middle floor of the gallery .
Catching my eye at the show was work by Jenny Creasey who makes sculptural ceramic pieces small, delicate paper-like forms from porcelain.
Jan Bowman with intricately woven yarns and fine copper set into drift wood.
Also, Claire Fairall's hand knitted/felted bags seamless and perfectfly formed.
In fact the two floors of work delivers a real cross section of talent in Leicestershire, the exhibition is on until the end of June.
Check it out, grab a coffee and a cake in the courtyard and then walk it off in the grounds for a very pleasant day out!

Woven flowers and honey Bees

Wakehurst Place is Kew Garden's country garden set in the beautiful West Sussex countryside.
This time they've asked me to create a feature in their wild meadow where this year they've been working hard on an apiary. 2 of the 4 hives were in action today... more to come.
The exhibition will feature a closer look at the world of the sweet and fundamental importance of bees existance for all life on earth.

The large flower is 11 feet tall and has been woven around steel in a Flanders willow which will mellow to a kind of coppery colour as it seasons.
The bees are also steel framed to which I've woven a steamed Salix Triandra and a vivid yellow willow, the name of which escapes me...
The idea is to use the arch feature as a view point to observe the bees and lean on the fence and have a natter.
It was a very long day, a 4.30am start should be back for 9pm !... I am though, very pleased with the result and I hope you like it too.

Thanks to Ian for all the support and the wedge of carrot cake! And to my Dad, for driving and grafting.

View over the millennium seed bank.

Signage, oak frame... Nice!

View of the apiary through the new gateway feature.

Here come the 'Gourds'!

Here are 'The Gourds', there are three in total tightly woven around a steel frame, designed for a very special Nursery, as play structures within the Norman Jackson Centre in Richmond.

They are a development from my root sculptures which reside at RHS Wisley model vegetable garden.

The project in Richmond has drawn form a variety of artists, each bringing something very unique to the table. Work is still in progress at Hampton Hill.

The garden itself designed by Benedict Green at www.greengardendesign was an idea driven by Pheone Cave, this will be an exceptional space once completed and I will revisit to document it in the spring.

Below, The Gourds in the workshop and then on site being installed:

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 .