A voice for craft

This week’s #mondaymaker is Ruth Osborne @ruthosborne_art.

Ruth is a Northern Irish textile artist and print maker based in rural County Down. Her work is linked to place, seasonal transitions and heritage.

She uses a range of printmaking processes – particularly the historic process of nature printing, and the heritage crafts of natural dyeing and ink making – to create original artworks on Irish linen.

View Ruth’s full profile on our Makers’ Directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/ruthosborne/

#craft #printing #naturaldyes #heritagecrafts

Over three posts we are profiling three additional recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Rosy Cousins, from Manchester, is a self-employed environmental scientist retraining in the critically endangered craft of pietra dura, a decorative technique that involves inlaying precisely cut stones into a surface to create intricate designs. She will train with @greenawaymosaics, as well as undertaking short courses in allied crafts.

Rosy’s bursary is supported by @heritagefunduk and made possible by players of the National Lottery.

Rosy said: “I simply wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of a bursary from Heritage Crafts and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It comes at a crucial time in my career, as I try to develop quite an unusual set of historic stoneworking skills, with very few opportunities for training. The bursary makes it possible for me to access the technical support and guidance I need, allowing me to continue on my journey. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”

This week’s #mondaymaker is Jenny Beattie @jenny_beattie_millinery – milliner.

Jenny uses traditional millinery techniques to make innovative, bespoke headpieces for individuals, fashion and theatre. She uses tools and techniques ‘borrowed’ from different craft disciplines to produce uniqueness, and prides herself on having a high level of technique and skill.

With fine art and millinery training, she has a materials-led practice with a unique aesthetic. She has a reputation as someone with an interest in transforming rubbish or leftovers into ‘Trash Hats’, in which eccentric fabrics such as cat food pouches or used teabags are transformed into stunning headpieces.

She says that craft has always been enormously important to her, as well as the cross pollination from other disciplines.

View Jenny’s full profile on our Makers’ Directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/jennybeattie/

#craft #millinery #heritagecrafts #mondaymaker

This week’s #craftfocus is cut crystal glass making.

British cut crystal glass, known for its brilliance and intricate designs, has become a hallmark of craftsmanship. In 1674, George Ravenscroft, a glassmaker based in London, patented a new method for producing glass with lead oxide, making it easier to work with, heavier and more brilliant, giving it a high level of clarity and sparkle due to its increased refraction of light. This lead crystal became highly suitable for cutting, as it could be deeply engraved and polished, giving rise to intricate designs and brilliant finishes.

During the 19th century, the British crystal industry reached its height. Crystal glass was highly sought-after, and many of the cutting patterns that we associate with traditional crystal glassware today were developed. From the mid-20th century onwards, British glassmakers shifted focus from mass production to preserving the artisanal quality and heritage of glass cutting.

The glass is cut using various diamond or carborundum grinding wheels. The wheels cut grooves into the glass with straight, sharp angles to increase the sparkle of the glass by adding more light-reflecting surfaces. Surfaces can then be cut a second time, a process known as smoothing, to create a finer finish. Few people do the second cut anymore as it adds considerable time to production.

Cut crystal glass making is classified as critically endangered on our Red List of Endangered Crafts. Recruitment has become very challenging due to a lack of training provision. High setup costs and lack of specialist equipment hinder training, and insufficient job security prevents guaranteed employment after training.

https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/cut-crystal-glass-making/

Images: @cumbriacrystal

#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #cutcrystalglassmaking #crystalglass