ArtShades

Personalised Wedding Presents

At the Malvern show lots of customers were taken by the idea of giving my map lamps as wedding presents or anniversary gifts, so I've been busy sourcing specific old OS maps and bringing them back to life in the form of a table lamp.

Here's a selection of recent commissions:

Reigate in Surrey - a town I used to call home.

A pair of lamps featuring OS maps of the Scottish Highlands

A stunning tall map lamp with the coastline along the Bristol Channel centred on Western-super-Mare.

And finally, Merthr Tydfil and Pontypridd in Wales - what a lovely map that is!

 

 

 

I'm featured in Illuminate by Hannah Nunn!

This week I received my copy of Illuminate - a brand new book reviewing contemporary craft lighting by the talented designer maker Hannah Nunn.

It is a beautiful book featuring many makers' work I already know and others I am very keen to read about.

I am particularly excited by the fact that my work is included in the gallery section, a pair of my bluebell table lamps.

The soft cover book has 144 pages, 175 colour photos and is split into eight sections, each chapter introducing makers working in a particular medium, 47 in total.  The gallery section at the back includes another 37.

Chapter 1 is Ceramics and includes UK makers Amy Cooper, Liz Emtage, Holly Ross and Scabetti.

Chapter 2 includes six makers working with Textiles, with the UK's Isabel Stanley and Maxine Suttton.

Chapter 3 is Paper and features Hannah Nunn herself and Louise Traill, along with three others.

Chapter 4 introduces us to seven of those working in the medium of print, including Lush Designs, Helen Minns, House of Chintz, Helen Rawlinson, Laura Slater and Daniel O'Riordan.

Section 5 is devoted to Wood and includes work by Jane Blease and Tom Raffield, plus turned bases by Sarah Lock.

Section 6 introduces us to artists working in metal as their primary material, including UK's Chris Cain, Colin Chetwood and Emerald Faerie.

Chapter 7 is Glass and has beautiful creations by Aline Johnson, Rochschild and Bickers, Curiousa and Curiousa, Heather Gillespie and Penelope Batley - all UK makers.

The last chapter is those working with recycled materials, with Lucentia, Michelle Brand and Sarah Turner.

It is fabulous to see all of us working with light brought together in one place and I am very proud to be part of this.

Hannah Nunn is well-known for her paper-cut lamps and her lighting and craft shop Radiance in Hebden Bridge, which showcases the work of many makers.  She has done a great job! 

 

Homeworks magazine spring 2012

It's always fun to see your own work in print.

The editor of Homeworks, a bi-annual Staffordshire Newspapers' publication, has kindly sent me a copy of the latest issue featuring a selection of my half lamps.

Thanks Louise for choosing to include me!

Shades of Devon

The latest batch of map drum shades to be delivered has featured the delights of Devon, commissioned by men this time.

The first pair represent the customer's entire life - incorporating all the places he has ever lived.  For these I sourced the map - a 1960 cloth Ordnance Survey map of Barnstaple.

 

The edges are bound in paper to match the stitched vertical stripes.

 

The customer has just sent me a lovely email telling me how pleased he is and attached some photos to show them on his own bases.  I love them!

 

The second pair was ordered to remind a local customer of happy holidays spent in Devon, they're made from vintage cloth-backed Bartholomew's map (left) and Ordnance Survey map (right), supplied by him.  The tallest is 20" high x 9" diameter.

  

It is impossible to flatten out the folds of decades old linen-backed maps, but it can add to the lampshade's charm.

I'll be working with local maps again next week, before moving on to Cornwall!

 

Au Revoir Paris map shade

Anyone who knows me (and plenty more who don't) will be aware of my ongoing search for a vintage map of Paris to fulfill a special commission.  After months of searching old book and map shops, charity shops and the internet I came up with a beauty!  Unfortunately it was so lovely and so old I couldn't bring myself to cut into it to make a lampshade (instead it will be framed and hung on my wall).

  

So the search began again and I am relieved to report that last weekend I made the winning bid on eBay for a later edition, less valuable, but just as charming, city map.

 

The wedding is tomorrow afternoon and the lamp will be winging its way to Kent overnight to be delivered to the bride's house in the morning.

 

Talk about cutting it fine!