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!

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!

Sun God at Brocks Hill, Oadby, Leicestershire.

The crow here represents our very own native English Sun God Ra!
I carved his footprints into a delicious eight foot slab of seasoned oak, which was grown, felled, planked and rested on the Staunton Harold estate.

The footprints wind their way up this tasty slab of oak, on a journey to and past the willow 'sun' woven around a steel sphere nestled within the wood.
This handsome Leicestershire Sun God survived a rainy unveiling, but now casts a welcoming glow over Brocks Hill Park, Oadby and beyond.