The workshop sketchbook

 The workshop sketch book lives in the workshop..it never goes out and never takes a trip to anywhere, like an old friend it sits waiting on my desk...recording my last thoughts and tests. Keeping a record of sizes, ideas, thoughts and paper patterns I might need again.

It is there to refer to and it’s fellow elders sit inside my desk waiting to be referenced when needed.

Each page has a figure or interesting snippet cut out from an old book or magazine, so I never turn over the page to a blank white starting point. I do at least 10 pages ahead…all ready…and I keep a look out for other characters who who be appropriate.

My work space

 My workshop isn’t very big, 7 foot by 7 foot. Luckily everything I make and collect is small.

The window sills are piled up with my cabinets of curiosity.

I trained in jewellery and silversmithing at the RCA and the layout of the bench was similar to what I have now. A table with a bench peg, all my tools at arms length and my “hearth” for soldering, and to my left a table for my sketch book and half completed work. The large sketch book lives on this table and the small book goes with me everywhere.

The chair I sit on is a low chair I fished out of a skip from a clinic in Lambeth..(designed for children and nursing mothers). 

This is the space I dreamt of as a child.

The importance of collecting.

 https://a1scrapmetal.blogspot.com/

A very important part of my  work involves collecting  small metal objects from car boot sales and charity shops.

Third year workspace Alsager 1983

 I did my B.A at Crewe and Alsager.  The course was a new Craft degree , so we had the advantage of not having a second and third year to look to. Which I enjoyed as we could make it up as we went along. I pretty much had the metal workshop to myself, as it was a combined studies course and most went for textiles or ceramics.