A new collection of contemporary work crafted by local designers is launching at the Heath Robinson Museum shop this October, just in time for Christmas and in addition to our current and next exhibitions, Scene Through Wood and Heath Robinson’s Shakespeare Illustrations.
The Maker’s Art range showcases handmade jewellery, textiles and wood reflecting the imagination and enchantment of Heath Robinson’s work. The makers, who mostly live locally, change every six months, creating a distinctive and continually varied decorative art marketplace at the Heath Robinson Museum and on their online shop.
Denise de Gromoboy – The Denalis Collection
I’m Denise and have been making jewellery and greetings cards since 2014 in my tiny box room workshop in Ealing, London. I am a member of The Guild of Jewellery Designers.
I love silver and have been hooked on working with precious metal clay since completing courses at The London Jewellery School in Hatton Garden a few years ago.
Silver precious clay is a very versatile, zero waste material. It’s made from extremely fine particles of silver, a by-product of manufacturing processes, mixed with organic binders and water.
Each piece I make goes through the same process – roll, texture, shape, dry, sand, fire to burn off the binder and polish – leaving a beautiful and unique piece of assay quality solid silver.
Working with silver clay has endless design possibilities and much of my inspiration comes from my garden, the wider environment and works of art. I use a mixture of proprietary texture sheets and metal stamps as well as leaves, feathers, lace, fabrics, and textured wall coverings to create the backgrounds to my designs.
All pieces are individually handcrafted so no two items are identical, although styles can be similar.
Any pieces weighing over 7.78g will be hallmarked. The chains and ear wires are sterling silver and stamped 925 by the manufacturer.
I also handmake sterling silver jewellery, some pieces incorporating semi-precious stones or Swarovski crystal beads.
Elaine Seeby – The Raddles and Heddles Collection
Elaine has taken part in many art forms – Theatre (Wardrobe Mistress) as a model for photographers and painters, creating amazing costumes, hats and loves working on embroidery, embellishments, and needlepoint.
Over the last few years, she has focused her on her skills for making fabric, working with plant-based yarns, Organic Cotton, Cotton Hemp, Cotton Linen and Tencel ( an award-winning Eco-friendly yarn, made from wood and is a cruelty free alternative to silk).
“I love to work with colour” you will often hear her say as she flicks her long pink hair.
Elaine dyes her plant-based yarns in wonderful colours using fibre reactive dyes and mixes her own colours for use as weft (the horizontal line) and hand paints her warps (the vertical line) any length up to 20 metres long, using this fabulous yarn she hand weaves on traditional multi- shaft floor looms, a 4 shaft and an 8 shaft, also a rigid heddle loom for demos.
In all this, she is self-taught and wants to keep her work as hands-on as possible. There is not much room in her life for high tech gadgets.
Elaine enjoys stocking local independent bookshops with her intricate weave bookmarks and attends many crafts fairs showing her fashion pieces, household textiles and jewellery. Every item is unique as the variegated threads and patterns change each item individually.
Elaine sells her work through:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RaddlesandHeddles
Commissions are always welcome.
Giancarlo Ciuffardi – The Woodturner Collection
I am a local woodturner, member of the Middlesex Association of Woodturners and a finalist of the British Woodturner of the Year. My workshop is in Hatch End Harrow where I make items for craft shows and commissions. This is the second time that my work will be stocked in the Museum onsite shop, and I am pleased to be showing a range of mainly lidded pots in a variety of responsibly sourced woods from across the world.
Cherry, walnut, oak, olive, yew, laburnum, all have a specific wood grain and different hardness or softness. In my own work I prefer a wavy wood grain that I can keep visible and create a beautiful effect for the piece and my customers.
I am Italian by birth and working with wood this past twenty years brings back childhood memories of watching my Uncle Amedeo making furniture. My inspiration comes from antiques and classic paintings and furniture. Recently I have been experimenting with adding coloured resins to pieces of wood with unusual organic gaps. The resin fills in the spaces contrasting with the grained wood.
I hope to show some of these new ideas during my season with the museum.
email: gciuffardi@hotmail.com
