Studio Life – Gillies Jones Blog

Priceless Antiques Roadshow

Posted in Studio Stuff by Kate Jones on February 3, 2010

Very pleased to have Christopher Payne showing and talking about our work and contemporary glass in this context.

We have been completely delighted at the response to the broadcast and we are overwhelmingly grateful to Mr Payne for his generosity.

Sadly, if you missed it the iplayer link has now expired.

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Fortnum & Mason – April 2010

Posted in Exhibitions by Kate Jones on February 1, 2010

Fortnum & Mason will be hosting and exhibition of British Craft in spring 2010 opening April 22nd on the first floor of the Piccadily store and running for eight weeks,

We will be showing our beautiful bowls and some new, wheel cut & sand carved overlay spherical forms along with work by makers from across the disciplines. Will post more later.

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Recent Commission

Posted in Studio Stuff by Kate Jones on February 1, 2010

Made a red and blue overlay bowl for DBA-Global, a local business that works internationally. The bowl is a gift for a senior official of the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration.

Good commission to do and we are very pleased with the bowl.

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New Burner

Posted in Studio Stuff by Kate Jones on February 1, 2010

Making glass today for the first time in two weeks, there has been much paper and planning and extra thinking time enjoyed in the down time !

Burner in and we are warm and happy ! Thanks to Kiwi of Ryelund for all his help.

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Sundays Walk

Posted in Rosedale the locale by Kate Jones on February 1, 2010

Fresh snow on the grounds, signs of spring… the first snow drops and Avas shadow hand wanting to pick them…  down by the river , many animal tracks and ice hanging from branches that touch the rivers surface. VV cold, vv beautiful.

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BBC2 February 2nd

Posted in Studio Stuff by Kate Jones on January 27, 2010

Special thanks to Christopher Payne, curator and furniture expert who appears regularly on the Antiques Roadshow, for his interest in our glass, as from his collection, a ‘beautiful bowl’ will appear on the BBC  ‘Priceless Antiques Roadshow’, BBC2 Feb 2nd at 6.30pm

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Cropton Bank

Posted in Rosedale the locale by Kate Jones on January 27, 2010

Sundays walk, with the kids, was around the bottom and then up Cropton Bank.

Stephen took this pic looking back towards Rosedale.

See the colours of the fallen trees’ branches change as it touches the ground.

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Garth Clark – Palace and Cottage

Posted in Craft Thoughts by Kate Jones on January 22, 2010

This an inspiring podcast from the American Craft Council Conference in October 2009 “Creating a New Craft Culture”.

Garth sets a cat amongst the ACC pigeons, indeed amongst all long established Craft Instutitions and asks some powerful questions and makes some keen observations.

There too, were many good comments from the floor challenging makers to rethink their role in looking after themselves, and not waiting for ‘mom & pop’ (the established craft institutions) to do it for them.

Perhaps for too long, makers have hoped that their relative councils will somehow help to make life just a bit easier, but in reality for the vast majority, the councils have succeeded in marginalising craft further from main stream consumer culture, abandoning, confusing and undermining a craft language that may have helped people new to craft to connect with its values, creative, cultural, social and economic, and therefore, fewer people have confidently purchased craft

As a maker who works to fill my ‘rice bowl’ as well as working to fund the ’spirit’ work, Garth Clarks words have a particular resonance.

Have a listen here and many of the other podcasts are also very interesting for those of us interested in the politics of craft and the future of craft.

Thank you Mr Clark.

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Stephen Bayley

Posted in Craft Thoughts by Kate Jones on January 12, 2010

like very much what Mr Bayley has to say about making things….. but I would !

read the full article here

let it snow ………..

Posted in Rosedale the locale by Kate Jones on January 5, 2010

Pics of a New Years Day walk and images  of the studio showing just how beautiful and  cold it is. I know this is turning into a weather blog again, but still the novelty of walking out to enjoy proper weather, stunning contrasts in light &  landscape, making good food and keeping warm by an open fire….. well its a feast for the eyes and soul.

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