Touchy Feely

Your pieces range from practical to decorative objects. What inspires the range of forms you create?

I make objects to be held. I love freeform organic shapes that have a flow. Every piece I make needs to feel good in your hands and look good, so I keep an eye on form, balance and texture while working. A lot of inspiration comes from nature. Trees have been around so long, and I love honouring their wood by making pieces that will be used and last a lifetime.

What are you looking for when you're out selecting wood for your designs?

I love visiting timber reclamation yards, they often have an off-cuts section with pieces deemed not good enough for general building or fine woodworking. I find it really exciting to think of workarounds to use as much of the timber as possible; some might be better suited to a certain object than others, and other forms have come from working around cracks and knots. With the storm-fallen timber, I use what comes down – it's completely up to nature!

How is working with this style of timber different to more conventionally sourced wood?

You don't always know what you will get or how it will react. I often work with spalted timbers (a form of decay caused by fungi, which leaves beautiful patterns on the wood). And this can result in cracks, soft spots and deformities that I need to work around, but that adds to the charm. To work out the flow and shape, I always make paper templates first before transferring the design to the wood; this way, I can choose the piece that fits best, and work around imperfections as I go.

Most of your pieces are immediately recognisable as functional objects but others are less so. Can you tell us about your 'nesting loops' and what drove their design?

I'm quite tactile by nature and always want to touch sculptures that I see. Obviously, that's not always possible (or appropriate!) so I made these loops to sit on a table or hang on a wall. They invite you to feel the shape and texture with your hands, as well as your eyes. I love seeing people pick them up and fiddle with them. I've got a couple of tiny loops that I keep in my pockets, in my home, and on my coffee table. They're one of my favourite objects that I make.

Anything new or surprising that's been floating your inspiration boat of late?

Stones! Whenever I'm at the beach, I'm looking for hagstones – stones that, over many years, through exposure to the elements, have formed holes that go all the way through. I love that they are all so different, completely organic and tactile. I have a real need to slow down, and studying stones on a beach is such a contrast to fast-paced life.

‍

grainandknot.com