Folly Friday

Del and I were at folly all day today, catching up with everyone, giving tutorials and technical advice.

Awesome things happening today, some real break throughs!! Amy also received her flocking!! Very exciting!!

So we all gathered round whilst she unpacked the box, lots of really colourful pieces were lifted out and we all felt like it had definitely been a good friday!!

Thursday Forge day!

First week back has been a little crazy!!! We have had module introductions, guest lecturers ( more to follow) feedback for assessments and third year meltdowns!! Pretty much sounds like a typical week really!!

So, as today is Thursday Del and I went to the forge to catch up with boys!

Sam's Easter at Little Newsham Forge

Sam's spent his Easter with well known Blacksmith Brian Russell at Little Newsham Forge. He's been forging tenons, punching holes, forging elements and leaves for a small gate, and even fitted a spiral handrail in a castle !! and even more exciting for Sam he's been using 3cwt Pilkington power hammer...

Bob's Easter in Isreal

I've recently blogged about Bob's great piece of work for Berrington Hall and now Bob's spent the Easter Holidays working with a Blacksmith kheir Aker in a small village in Isreal - Akko.

They'll be more pictures to follow but here's a picture of a gate they were making together for a private residence in Gallilee and a snap of a well earned lunch break .

Chris and Laura's Easter Salt Firing

Chris and Laura two of our third year students specialising in Ceramics had a great opportunity to fire a salt kiln over the Easter Holidays with Mel Brown ( Mel teaches part time with us )

They made some work in Stoneware Clay specifically for the firing and here's some pictures of the firing and unpacking - it's a unpredictable and magical way of firing with the kiln being fired up to 1300 degrees and adding Salt through the spy holes with a controlled reduction atmosphere in the kiln .. There were some great results ...

For an arch of roses ...

This awesome piece was designed to sit within a arch of roses at Berrington Hall , it's ambitious , well designed and made by Bob Thomas a second year Artist Blacksmith , I particularly enjoy the details of the rivet's . I've added some photos of the final stages of construction at Holme Lacy and snapped some photos of sketch book to illustrate his design process ...

We are planning to take some images of it in situ next term so I'll be blogging this piece of work again.

Congratulations Bob it's a great piece of work ..

Amsterdam Trip

There's just been a great trip to Amsterdam it was four days away and 40 students went with 4 staff , Kate and I didn't go but lots of students from across the Crafts Cluster went and had a fabulous time here's a few pics ...