Craft Collaboration

Last week I attended Scotland’s first official craft collaboration at the very picturesque Falkland Estate involving 20 artists, a forgery, wood working tools, willow, an etching press, a resource of found objects and all the materials necessary to make ‘stuff’.

The stables on the Falkland Estate where the collaboration took place
The stables on the Falkland Estate where the collaboration took place
Some of the stuff in the 'resource' pile
Some of the stuff in the ‘resource’ pile

The emphasis was not on selling, and making stuff to sell, it was about working with others to develop ideas, experiment and think of new ways of seeing and working.

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The landscape format, featuring dry points made by all contributing artists
The cover was made with yew wood then burnt and the spine forged from metal.
The cover was made with yew wood then burnt and the spine forged from metal.

I took a little etching press to demonstrate dry points throughout the collaboration. Most people worked up one, even two dry points which I then printed into two books in a concertina format. The covers were made with wood, one was burnt using a ceramic cast and finished with metal forged to fit. The other was adorned with a piece of hand woven threads.

First basket ever
First basket ever

Meanwhile I also had a go at basket making. I’ve always been drawn to vessels and baskets weaved out of willow, so I thought this was my chance to have a go. I took a random metal disk out of the resource area which formed the base of my willow vessel. It’s not professionally finished but I am proud of it none the less.

I’d like to thank all of those involved and to Angus for the invite to collaborate.

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