Craft Show Artists 2011

Karen Akester — Glass, Metal & Wood, Edinburgh, Midlothian   |   karenakester.com

Essentially a sculptor using glass as my medium, I work using clay and wax and from this modelling produce casts. In conjunction with this technique I have more recently been exploring pate de verre which adds texture and warmth to the cold glass surface. The techniques I employ are specifically chosen to highlight the fragmented nature of incomplete memory. The source for much of my work has disseminated from aging photographs and museum garments and I strive to capture the fragile nature of these in my work. The figures likewise are often incomplete, the surfaces distressed and uneven suggesting an incomplete picture. Here the viewer is invited to fill in the gaps and make complete a picture in their own mind.

Stacey Bentley — Jewelry Precious, Edinburgh   |   staceybentley.com

Through material experimentation, I explore the new possibilities and ideas that industrial liquid enamel can bring to contemporary jewelry. My aim is to challenge the pre-conceived ideas attached to enamel by questioning technique, process and aesthetic. Taking inspiration from patterns and structures I have observed on my journeys through urban scenes, I initially paint onto small scale enamel panels to help me to reflect upon these observations. This visual information is translated into tactile, sculptural forms that play with line, gritty textures and matt finishes. Texture is becoming increasingly important to me.

Jilli Blackwood — Textiles-Wearable & Decorative, Glasgow   |   jilliblackwood.com

The act of creation is invariably preceded by fear. I do not rely on preconceived ideas nor refer to any constant past themes. I choose not to take the safe passage but, instead, seek the hard road. The work will be bold, daring, and dynamic. The first thing is color. New and exciting color combinations are created and evaluated. Once I have in mind the combinations which work then I know that I am on the right path. I hand dye many different fabrics until I have a palette I am excited to work with. Putting together the piece takes many hours of work; weaving, cutting, sewing, and embroidering. What makes everything worthwhile however, is that magical moment when I see the work coming alive. I know, at long last, I am truly engaged in the act of creation.

James Donald — Textiles - Wearable, Edinburgh, Lothian,   |   pickone.co.uk

These wearable woven pieces are the culmination of extensive visual research, which began with several trips to the Uists on the Outer Hebrides, Scotland and a two-week trip to Shetland in the far reaches of Scotland. After extensive drawing, mark making and photographing the landscape, the images were further manipulated using various Apps on an i-Phone, which were then printed out and further redrawn and manipulated to maximize design possibilities through the medium of woven textiles. This collection is inspired from these images, in particular the images of cars driving across the Scottish landscape in the dusk and dawn of the day, with there trailing car headlights, brake and tail lights leaving ghostly wispy trails across these sometimes desolate, barren yet rich landscapes. Design possibilities have been promoted through the use of treble cloth constructions, with each fabric having a silk linen warp, a linen warp and a soft Scottish lambs wool warp The flexibility of the treble cloth also gives each fabric a front, back and a hidden middle.

Carla Edwards — Jewelry Semi-Precious, Edinburgh   |   carlaedwards.co.uk

Inspiration comes from a love of the natural world, pattern, colour and drawing. The small details of plants fascinate me and I enjoy translating elements of drawings into wearable jewellery. Pieces are influenced by sketches from my garden, walks in the woods and the famous Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh. I combine playful shapes and colour to make quirky, often asymmetric necklaces, brooches and earrings. Using pattern and repetition of small resin and wire shapes within larger forms creates layers of interest. I contrast these areas of pattern with bold simple forms of solid colour.

Resin is used in my jewellery because of the range of colour, pattern, translucency, form and finish I can achieve with the material. I also use aluminium leaf, gold leaf, silver and 18ct gold to compliment.

Techniques used are mould making, casting, filing, carving and polishing resin. These are alongside traditional metalworking techniques such as soldering, piercing and hammering.

Lorna Fraser — Lorna Fraser, Ceramics, Edinburgh   |   lornafraser.co.uk

The inspiration for my work comes from the plant world. I take elements from different parts of plants — particularly water lilies — to create my own hybrids. My work explores the sculptural quality of plants whilst also trying to capture their vulnerability and sensuality.

The effect of light and shadows are an integral part of the work and in the past year I have introduced a monochrome palette which emphasizes the transfer of natural light through pure white translucent porcelain in relation to the density of black porcelain. A more recent development has been the use of printmaking techniques to add plant imagery as surface decoration.

My intention is for the work to sit comfortably in either a sculptural or functional environment.

Elizabeth Gaffney (Liz Brown) — Textiles - Wearable, Ayrshire   |   heartfeltbyliz.com

As a textile artist, I specialize in the merging of ancient and modern techniques of felt making, creating a wide range of inventive artwork. The basic material I use is wool grown from animals here in the U.K. I use the fiber from local sheep and process and dye it myself. Much of the inspiration for my designs and colors come from the diversely textured landscape around me. I have traveled to Mongolia to research traditional feltmaking and worked with craft workers there and set up connections with them and the community of feltmakers in Scotland. My commercial skills in floristry and fashion and design keep my newly created styles in the forefront.

Eileen Gatt — Jewelry Precious, Inverness Ross-shire   |   eileengatt.co.uk

As a jeweler and silversmith, I am inspired by the mystical interaction between man and the sea. I am fascinated by ancient stories and customs and use them as a starting point, creating my own visual interpretations, abstracting them in such a way that the pieces portray an air of mystery and intrigue. A number of my more recent pieces incorporate elements which have been cast from rowan trees, it was the belief that rowan protected you from the "sidh" (wee folk or fairies) so it became a symbol of good luck. I work predominantly in silver but often incorporate 18ct gold and semi precious stones to highlight certain aspects of the design.

Tom Gibson — Wood & Metal, Auchinleck   |   tinyurl.com/3ppy6k9

I am strongly influenced by wooden artefacts dug up from peat bogs or salvages from shipwrecks and ceremonial drinking vessels such as maisers and quaichs. Often repaired with precious metal with inclusions of semi precious stones, these details lift something as simple as a wooden bowl to a vessel of importance and value. I use exclusively green Scottish native hardwoods predominately oak, ash and elm that I source either as driftwood or through trees that have to be felled through disease or storm damage. The inclusions in my work are primarily in hallmarked Scottish silver.

Grace Girvan — Jewelry Precious, Burntisland, Fife   |   gracegirvanjewellery.blogspot.com

The unique ladscape of Orkney Islands is imprinted in my memory and is a continuing source of inspiration for me. I feel most contented when I'm out beach combing. I aim to convey this sense of calm through a restrained color palette of soft greys, blues, greens, and browns to portray the washed out, sun bleached colors associated with the sea and peebles, diftwood and shells which I then combine with silver and enamel. The found objects provide a source for the shapes and compositions and with this I create sculptural yet wearable pieces of jewelry. This collection pulls together my landscape and palette combined with some chased pieces to capure the softness and natural luminosity of precious metal.

Sally Grant — Jewelry Precious, Burntisland, Fife   |   sallygrant.co.uk

I use photography to capture moments of time and the contrast of naturally occurring random patterns and textures and how this can be related to decoration and ornament in jewelry. Decoration and ornament, specifically antique textiles and ceramics inspire me. Hand-painted, gilded, embroidered or woven, I am drawn to intricate handcrafted detail. I use real images of nature to recreate these themes in my work. The photo-etching technique allows me to translate and frame the images in precious metals while the organic nature of enameling techniques brings color and vibrancy. Color creates contrast and depth, bringing the pieces to life.

Myer Halliday Ceramics, Edinburgh, Scotland   |   myerhalliday.co.uk

My work is all hand thrown using a new "porcelain white" stoneware which is decorated using slips and underglaze stains. This new clay gives an excellent colour response; colours being strong and vibrant. The use of brushed and poured slips is a recent development and expands on a more controlled use of line and mark making which was characteristic of previous work. A consistent theme in my work is a passion for colour and the balance and rhythm of line and mark. "I love drawing and use unglazed porcelain or porcelain-slipped stoneware as a way of capturing this. Whilst I am also interested in making more sculptural pieces there is a balance to be struck between pure self-expression and commercially successful functional work. Whilst seeking to balance this tension my future work will examine a broader and more complex range of forms and patterns."

Claire Heminsley — Textile - Decorative, Fife   |   incahoots.org.uk

Drawing is integral to my approach, creating combinations of mixed media components using stitch, screen print, 3 dimensions, digital print, laser cutting, scraper board, all manner of conventional and unconventional drawing and painting medium. The work has an illustrative quality with its inspiration rooted in the everyday. Through stitching and structuring fabric, often in layers, I create further compositional textile drawings, which are embedded in a narrative tradition. The starting point for this new body of work is the notion of 'things that change other things'~ we live in a world that changes constantly. I have a fascination with the process of change and how we cope with it.

Marion Kane — Metal, West Kilbride Ayrshire   |   marionsilversmith.com

Using a selection of old worn hammers and roll printing I create rough and subtle surfaces onto metal objects that I have constructed from sheet silver using hand raising and traditional fabricating techniques. The textures give a contrast to the smooth highly polished finish we associate with older silverware. My ideas are drawn from textures and patterns seen in everyday life: the winter branches of coastal trees, ever changing markings in the sand, fabrics and industrial structures. I use simple fluid forms that enhance these surfaces with occasional touches of gold to add warmth and contrast. My aim is to encourage the owner to feel and explore the surfaces, and no longer consider silver as too precious to use.

Hannah Louise Lamb — Jewelry Precious, Edinburgh   |   hannahlouiselamb.co.uk

The skills Hannah employs in making her jewelry are rooted in traditional fabrication techniques and quality workmanship, focusing specifically on intricate hand-piercing and cut-outs. Hannah's designing is intuitive, informed by a continued appreciation for the world around her at home in Edinburgh or from her childhood in Cornwall. Inspiration is found in an array of familiar items; coastline maps, garden birds, the British countryside, butterflies, family pets, wallpaper patterns. The designs combine silver with materials such as silk, felt, ebony, precious, and semi-precious stones.

Gilly Langton — Jewelry Semi-Precious, Ross-shire   |   gillylangton.co.uk

Gilly's jewelry is handcrafted using traditional silversmithing and jewelry techniques. Her range of jewelry comprises of bangles, necklaces, earring, rings, cufflinks, brooches and kilt pins. Clean modernist lines contrasted with the fine human craftsmanship and subtle detailing that is intrinsic in all her designs. She takes pleasure in the process of creating something from a piece of silver, transforming it through age old techniques, shaping, joining and placing her own marks on the metal, transforming it into a contemporary object for people to wear, cherish and hold. She chooses sterling silver for its crisp clean color, with the addition of colored elastic resulting in an extensive collection of one off and batch production contemporary jewelry pieces.

Hannah McAndrew — Ceramics, Galloway   |   hannahmcandrew.co.uk

I make pots with a purpose. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of creating a piece of work that will perform its task well and which will look attractive and be comfortable to have around the house. My work, thrown in red earthenware is decorated using colored slips and a rich honey glaze. The decoration is applied to the surface of the pot whilst the slipped surface is still glistening wet. My collection of oak and horse chestnut trees in pots outside the studio have found themselves being recreated in sgraffito across the surface of my work. Other influences include the strong naive designs occurring across eastern European folk art, in particular the images used in their woven textiles and tapestries; rich many-layered tulips are a particular favorite of mine.

Fiona Mcintosh — Textiles - Wearable, Edinburgh   |   tessutiscotland.co.uk

From my studio in Edinburgh I design and produce a range of fashion accessories which are hand dyed then silk screen printed using the 'discharge' method of printing. I specialize in mainly printing wool mixes, lambswool, silk and cashmere. My current collection of prints are inspired by imagery from the 1950's and 1960's. The use of color is very important to me and 'discharge' printing lends itself to this whiilst retaining the orignal soft handle of the fabrics.. I trained at the Scottish College of Textile in the Scottish Borders, graduating in 1984. In 1985 I established my label TESSUTI.

Grainne Morton — Jewelry Precious, Edinburgh   |   grainnemorton.co.uk

The found objects I use in my work are in the main the inspiration for my jewelry. Collecting objects from the obscure to the miniature, found and fabricated, is the starting point for most designs. These objects become the narrative form for my jewelry and are collaged together by arrangement and rearrangement until all the objects connect with each other in order to create lively, colorful spontaneous stories. In most of my designs I aspire to evoke a feeling of nostalgia. I consciously work in a miniature scale, using a diverse range of materials in order to create attention so that the onlooker has to become more involved in the piece, hopefully sparking memory and thought as well as making them smile.

Sally-Ann Provan — Textiles-Wearable, Edinburgh   |   sallyannprovan.co.uk

I create modern millinery and accessories with subtle vintage echoes. Using traditional techniques I create pieces which are imbued with a timeless, quirky feminine elegance that appeals to a diversity of women - pieces to be coveted, and to be worn again and again. Colour is a very important element in my work and this is balanced with elegant forms, and detailed hand embellishment. The forthcoming launch of my first collection of handbags will both complement and contrast my headwear, adding another dimension to my work.

Angus Ross — Furniture, Aberfeldy   |   angusross.co.uk

Having originally established a studio/workshop working as a designer/maker of innovative, high quality artworks and furniture in Oxfordshire in 1993, I relocated to Aberfeldy, Highland Perthshire in 2003. Working primarily to commission, my approach is to carefully consider how a piece of work will be experienced aesthetically and functionally and by using a blend of tradition and innovation create beautiful work that will be a pleasure to use for years to come. With a background in product design, my expertise lies in assessing the needs of clients, and by focusing the design to their requirements, produce an appropriate and unique piece of work, be it sculpture, reception desk, bench or cabinet.

Fraser Ross — Metal, Wood & Mixed Media, Strathaven, South Lanarkshire   |   fraser-ross.com

The world is filled with lifeless boring objects, most become a background. The vision is to create intelligent and playful projects that have a human induced transformation, that evoke personal value, open our imaginations, and make us smile.

Patricia Shone — Ceramics, Isle of Skye   |   patriciashone.co.uk

The inherent textures in clay as it is stretched and pushed seem to mirror the textures of formation and erosion in the hills. The strength and mass of the rocks demand a corresponding strength of response. The two elements of monumental mass and of intimate detail expressed in my work are as a result of living on the Isle of Skye. I love the connections between land and inhabitant; the traces communities write on the surface of the hills. I try to interpret this, sometimes functionally, like a jug or a bowl passed from person to person, sometimes it is solitary, like taking a stone in my hands and feeling the form and weight of the mountain in it.