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This three day course is an introduction to letter carving in stone/slate and suitable for beginners. We will discuss different lettering styles and you will hand draw your own design, learn about what works for which purposes and how to transfer your design onto the material. Then you will be taught the ancient technique of carving letters with a chisel and mallet by hand, resulting in letterforms that are sharp, crisp and can last for centuries.

Lisi will give group demonstrations, and support each participant through individual tuition addressing your needs. Each participant can decide whether to aim towards a short, finished piece of work or just letter carving practice.  A slide talk will aid understanding of letterforms (both ancient and contemporary) and stimulate discussions. There will be books and inspirational material for you to look at.

Each student will have their own workstation and there is space for drawing practice and design work.

During the three days you will start off by becoming familiar with the feeling of how to hold the tools and practice some general strokes. You might want to have a go on different materials.

There will be a talk and slide presentation on design and layout.

Lisi will help you to develop your own design which you will then transfer onto the stone/slate.

You will then be ready to carve your design and be proud of it!

About the tutor:

Lisi has set up her letter carving workshop in Wiltshire 10 years ago. Based on her background in visual recognition, art & design, and inspired by themes as diverse as poetry, history, philosophy, science and the landscape, Lisi creates a wide range of original and beautifully crafted sculptural carvings for home, garden and memorials. The pieces demonstrate her ability to respond to her sense of the spirit of place and in some instances, also reveal her wonderfully quirky sense of humour.

She is a QEST scholar, an elected member of the British Master Cavers Association as well as the Lettering Arts Trust (memorials by artists).

This is a 2 day course aimed at those who are new to chair caning or have some basic experience of the craft. It is suitable for both those who make new furniture, and those who have a restoration project in mind.

Course Description

The tuition is over 2 days between 9.30am and 5.00pm.  You will be taught in a small group of up to 8 people by Brian Crossley MBE, a second generation Chair Caner who has practised the craft for over 60 years and teaches in various locations.

Working on a pre-made frame which represents a typical chair seat (as the attached picture), you will be taught the ‘6 way pattern’ which is used on 95% of all caned furniture. 

Day 1

The first day begins with a presentation and discussion, to give participants a good understanding of the history of the craft, materials, tools, techniques and other caning patterns.

After this, participants begin the practical part of the workshop.  All materials and comprehensive course notes will be provided, plus the loan of any tools required.

Caning a frame can be undertaken seated and to assist in handling the frame, this will be held in an adjustable clamp attached to a table. (see note below)

Safety is important.  All measures will be taken to promote the safe use of hand tools and participants will be supervised at all times.

Day 2

Continue caning the frame as on Day 1 .   If time permits, you will be able to weave an alternative pattern on another smaller frame.   Completed frame(s) and notes can be retained.   

An Introduction to Relief Carving in Wood 

3 Day workshop 

Day 1 

Sarah will introduce you to the traditional tools used in hand carving a relief design in wood. Various design styles will be discussed together with how to edit a design to make it suitable for carving. You’ll then be shown a demonstration of the various stages involved in creating a relief design. 

 You will then have a chance to practise these techniques using the supplied gouges and mallets and get used to working with the wood grain. Once you have become familiar with the carving technique you will have the opportunity to begin hand drawing a design of your own or choose from four different designs Sarah will have a template for. There will be reference material available to aid you in your design work. 

Day 2 and 3 

Working at your own pace Sarah will be on hand to guide you through carving your design. 

This course is suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some experience in wood carving who wish to improve their skills and have a go at carving a more complex design. 

Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear- no open toed shoes or sandals. 

Bio 

Sarah Goss specialises in providing bespoke hand carved items ranging from lettering and relief decoration to producing architectural details and gilded frames. After graduating in 2008 from Portsmouth University in Restoration & Decorative Studies, Sarah started her own woodcarving business in 2009 carving both traditional and modern designs. 

In 2013 she became an INTBAU Young Practitioner and in 2014 she took part in the Prince’s Foundation Building Craft Apprenticeship programme studying with several master carvers around the country. Since graduating she has continued to run her own business, now based in Radstock, Somerset. In 2022 she took part in the Sky Arts programme ‘The Prince’s Master Crafters’ as a mentor and continues to produce bespoke woodcarvings as well providing tuition. Her portfolio can be found at sarahgoss.co.uk 

During the two day course students will learn how to prepare yarn for natural dyeing in order to get the best results, understand how different British wool yarns behave in the dye pot, and learn how to produce a vibrant range of colours from cultivated and foraged plants, and food waste.

This course takes place at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire.

Day One
Participants will prepare yarns for dyeing by making hanks and undertaking the preparatory steps of scouring and mordanting. They will also be taken on a British wool ‘breed exploration’ exercise, dyeing several different British wool yarns with plants and food waste to see how they vary in the dye pot.

Day Two
The prepared yarns from day one will be dyed a spectrum of colours using a range of plants and modifiers. There is also a chance to explore alternative methods of applying natural colour to yarn through the bundle dyeing technique, and the opportunity to work with woad grown at the Barley Court dye garden to create blues.

Participants will leave with lots of samples, notes and the knowledge to continue your natural dyeing journey at home. This workshop is hands on, communal and collaborative, with plenty of opportunities to learn from Ria’s vast experience and knowledge of working with British wool and natural dyes.

Tutor biography:
Ria Burns is a Somerset based knitwear designer-maker, natural dyer and dye plant grower. They specialise in working with local and British wool yarn. Ria has a Masters in Textile Design from Bath Spa University, where they honed their machine knitting and dyeing skills. Ria enjoys sharing their knowledge and passion for sustainability, through teaching natural dyeing and dye plant growing.