Issue 33 Spring 2016
“Fractured” vessel in Britannia silver and gilding-metal by Hazel Thorn
THE QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOLARSHIP TRUST MAGAZINE
In this issue Private View from QEST Scholar Alastair Barford
My QEST by Trustee Nick Crean
QEST Special Edition Products
2015 QEST Apprentices
QEST
Chairman’s Letter
Beauty and Quality are not made, they are crafted Welcome to the Spring 2016 Edition of QEST Magazine. I urge you to read from cover to cover the news from QEST, our Scholars, Apprentices and supporters. QEST’s 25th anniversary in 2015 was a jubilant year for our fabulous charity, in particular Her Majesty The Queen accepting our invitation to become QEST’s patron in 2016, supported by vice patrons Viscount Linley and the Marquess of Salisbury. We will join 600 organisations celebrating Her Majesty’s patronage and lifetime of service through The Patron’s Lunch in June, and hope you will consider doing the same on our behalf. We awarded our 370th QEST Scholar and our 17th QEST Apprentice, and I was heartened to hear “I wouldn’t be where I am today without QEST” from Scholar Lewis Robins-Grace (2012), who I bumped into in Green Park on her way to work as a conservator at Buckingham Palace. My Twitter feed buzzes with craft – a stream of exciting news from our alumni about awards, commissions, exhibitions and more. And everywhere I turn, from the Goldsmiths’ Fair to London Craft Week, I find QEST Scholars showcasing or selling their work. I’ve been hands on too. I hammered and soldered a silver teaspoon with the QEST Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Apprentice Paul Kirkos at Hamilton & Inches, and modelled a wooden QEST cap carved by QEST Carpenters’ Company Scholar Joey Richardson (a fine creation, but I’ll be sticking with my softer Lock & Co caps for everyday wear). Our relationship with the Royal Warrant Holders Association and its members goes from strength to strength. I was proud to speak alongside QEST Scholars and Apprentices at the RWHA Plugging the Skills Gap Seminars in London and with the Edinburgh and Aberdeen Associations at Gleneagles supported by Johnnie Walker in October. The Sandringham Association of Royal Warrant Holders, where I began my affiliation with the RWHA and QEST, has pledged to raise funds for a QEST Scholarship, spearheading an initiative that we hope other Local Associations will follow. I am grateful to my fellow QEST Trustees and team, who spend a great deal of time each year whittling down applications and interviewing potential QEST Scholars and Apprentices; hard work, but a never-ending source of joy. The combination of creativity, talent and commitment to full-time careers in craft is so impressive, and underlines the need for ever-greater fundraising. I look forward to seeing the past year’s successful applicants go on to flourish and make names for themselves with QEST’s backing, and here’s to making 2016 even more spectacular together.
Nick Farrow QEST Chairman This magazine is published with the kind support of our advertisers.
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) was founded in 1990 in celebration of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the Royal Warrant Holders Association. QEST is honoured to welcome Her Majesty The Queen as Patron of QEST in her 90th birthday year, and looks forward to continuing to champion excellence in British craftsmanship as symbolised by the Royal Warrant of Appointment.
“It gives me great pleasure to become the Patron of QEST in 2016. QEST has blossomed from a small, but essential charity to an established force within the craft industry, which serves to enrich our cultural heritage here and abroad.” Elizabeth R.
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN HER GARTER ROBES by QEST SCHOLAR ALASTAIR BARFORD, commissioned by Illustrated London News for its commemorative book The Record Reign of Her Majesty The Queen.
Her Majesty The Queen QEST Patron
QEST
Private View
PRIVATE
VIEW
Alastair Barford
This is the second in a series of conversations with QEST alumni, catching up on their progress, getting a glimpse into their studio or workshop, and finding out more about their work today.
Artist
QEST Scholar 2012
Alastair has just returned to the UK following three years of study at a private atelier in Florence. His work came to the attention of the nation in 2015, when he was commissioned by the Illustrated London News (ILN) to paint a portrait of Her Majesty The Queen for its special edition The Record Reign. How did you come to be a QEST Scholar? I enjoyed studying fine art at university, but didn’t feel I was given a practical education in drawing and painting. For centuries these techniques have been passed from master to apprentice, so I researched schools offering traditional tuition. I attended a two-week course at Charles H. Cecil Studios in Italy funded by a bursary, and realised instantly this was where I wanted to develop my artistic practice. Sitting outside the mainstream establishment, therefore not eligible for student loans or grants, this rigorous training would have remained inaccessible without the belief and generosity shown to me by QEST and the Leverhulme Trust. What drew you to the atelier of Charles H. Cecil? It is one of the original and highest regarded ateliers with a direct traceable lineage to the past masters. It offers the most thorough training in the world in the technique and philosophy of sight-size portrait painting, one of the most exacting of artistic disciplines advocated by British school painters such as Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. How has your work changed during your studies? Technique, materials and subject matter! I was largely self-taught, working from photographic or cinematic material. During my time at Charles H. Cecil I worked exclusively from life, using the sight-size portrait technique. This is a purely visual approach, in which the artist compares subject and representation directly, making proportional, tonal and aesthetic judgements by eye. I also took classes in portrait sculpture hoping to learn about the human head to produce more volumetric drawings and paintings. What I found was a love for the medium itself, and was fortunate to study with experienced practitioners offering me an introduction to working with clay, bronze and marble.
Issue 33 Spring 2016
What inspires you? Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini once said: “Three things are needed for success in painting and sculpture: to see beauty when young and accustom oneself to it, to work hard, and to obtain good advice.” My time in Italy has given me the opportunity to do exactly this – studying at Charles H. Cecil Studios and Studio Della Statua, seeking wisdom from exceptional artists, and the city of Florence itself is an incredible source of beauty. Its galleries boast some of the finest Renaissance art, there are fantastic paintings in every church, frescos on every street corner, and sculpture in every piazza. I have spent many hours sketching the masterpieces. Do you have a favourite medium? For drawing, I love to work with charcoal. When painting, I work in oils. In sculpture, I model in water based clay, but also love the sustained endeavour of carving in stone.
design and compose the image later. The challenge was to convey character and depth based on fleeting glances and David’s photographs, from which the image was largely realised. You achieved an incredible likeness. What else were you trying to capture? One of the first official portraits of The Queen painted after the Coronation was by the Florentine artist Annigoni. By painting at a similar threequarter view, again in Garter Robes, suggests that despite great social and economic changes during her 63-year reign, the monarchy endures. Looking off to the distance, perhaps Her Majesty is surveying the years of her record reign, though I prefer to think that she is looking to the years ahead. It is a celebratory image, and so I used more colour than I typically would. Could you tell us more about the charcoal sketch? The charcoal sketch was not a preparatory study. I decided to take a break from the painting at a difficult point, and draw. The inspiration came from the portrait of Queen Victoria by Amédée Forestier, commissioned by ILN for the then Record Reign, and was designed as a companion to that image.
Which materials couldn’t you live without? In Florence we were taught to grind our own paint and use a traditional, simple, flesh palette of Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre, Vermillion and Lead White. While at university you are I use a range of hog and sable brushes, typically working taught to ‘make art’. My QEST on oil-primed canvas using a traditional medium, based Scholarship and studies in Italy on that used by Rubens, of have given me the skills and Canada balsam, sun-thickened linseed oil and turpentine. techniques to do so. You described painting Her Majesty The Queen’s portrait as a ‘terrifying privilege’. How did you come to accept this commission? I spoke to Charles Cecil as I felt out of my depth, but it was an extraordinary opportunity I had to accept. I was also motivated by ILN’s offer to make a donation to QEST for every copy of the book and magazine sold, and so I could contribute in however small a degree to future Scholars receiving the advantages I had through QEST. You would usually spend 40 hours with a portrait subject. How did you adjust to having only ten minutes to observe Her Majesty? R.H. Ives Gammell, Charles Cecil’s tutor, had a dictum: ‘make a masterpiece in nature, and paint it.’ This is how we work in the studio, setting the pose, designing a harmonious image. The final painted portrait is the assimilation of the expressions, gestures and postural changes during the sittings. This was more a case of gathering as much information as I could at the Garter Service with David Godfrey, ILN art director, so I could to
What does the immediate future hold? While at university you are taught to ‘make art’. My QEST Scholarship and studies in Italy have given me the skills and techniques to do so. There are some paintings from my time in Florence that I feel demonstrate a greater degree of subtlety or refinement, but I still regard myself as a student. Perhaps that’s what an artist is, a perpetual student. I am now studying and assisting at the Sarum Studio in Salisbury, an atelier set up by former senior instructor at Charles H. Cecil Studios Nicholas Beer. There is space for 12 students, working under natural light. It is an intimate and inspiring environment in which to continue my development on portrait and figure projects. What is the best advice you have been given? If in doubt, simplify.
The Record Reign limited edition bookset and prints of Her Majesty The Queen’s portrait by Alastair Barford are available from recordreign.com. Illustrated London News has pledged 10% of sales to QEST, a total potential donation of around £20,000 if all copies are sold. alastairbarford.co.uk
QEST
Events
Events
The craft displays were in good hands in the RWHA and QEST Pavilion at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for the Concours of Elegance 2015. Mia Sabel (2010) presented her bespoke leather watch strap service and stonemason Andrian Melka (2008) took time out from working on a sculpture commission to be at the show. Visitors, treated to the sight of 60 of the world’s rarest historic cars, also took in the work of QEST Scholars Alan Moore (2014, textiles), Wayne Hart (2011, stonemasonry), Lauren Day (2014, embroidery), Hazel Thorn (2011, engraving), Sophie Zajicek (2012, textiles) and QEST Hamilton & Inches Apprentice Paul Kirkos (2014). The Concours of Elegance 2016 will take place at Windsor Castle on 2nd - 4th September.
Tim Scott / Fluidimages
concoursofelegance.co.uk
With kind permission from Lord Sterling, the RWHA invited guests aboard The Queen’s Rowbarge Gloriana for its Summer Reception. Nick Farrow was given a tour by QEST Scholar and decorative artist Marina Hughes (2008), who worked with Royal Warrant holder Hare & Humphreys on the heraldry and gilding of Gloriana in preparation for the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant. glorianaqrb.org.uk
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The Royal Windsor Horse Show, which attracts over 50,000 visitors, is a highlight in the QEST calendar. In 2015, six QEST Scholars were invited to demonstrate their skills in the RWHA Pavilion. QEST Saddlers’ Company Scholar Clare Barnett (2013) showed the hands on experience she gained from her QEST Scholarship working alongside the last remaining side saddle maker Richard Godden, and QEST Leathersellers’ Company Scholar Mark Angelo-Gizzi (2013) displayed his saddlery leather satchels, bags and belts.
Art in Action brings together 400 artists, craftsmen, performers and musicians every summer in Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire. In July 2015, the organisers kindly provided QEST with a stand for four Scholars: artist blacksmith Jenny Pickford (2010), fine furniture maker Aidan McEvoy (2006), ceramicist Mia Sarosi (2004) and master saddler Clare Barnett (2013). artinaction.org.uk
The work of QEST Scholars will be showcased once again in the 2016 Pavilion (12th – 15th May) and there is much excitement about HMQ90, The Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration taking place at this year’s event. rwhs.co.uk | hmq90.co.uk
The QEST team gave their sponsors a run for their money at the Regent’s Park 10k in September. QEST John Smedley Scholar Gillian Murphy (2014), Garfield Weston Scholar Emily Goodaker (2013) and Johnstons of Elgin Scholar Kim Norrie (2014) pulled on their trainers alongside runners from major QEST donor and Royal Warrant holder Howdens Joinery. Anyone wanting to run for QEST in 2016, race day for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon is 9th October 2016. royalparkshalf.com
Tom Fleetwood, Holland & Holland
Holland & Holland invited QEST Scholars to its store in Mayfair to show their work at a cocktail evening. James Hamill (1995), head beekeeper for The Hive Honey Shop, was fresh from winning Best Rooftop Honey at the London Honey Show 2015. Jack Row (2013) presented his gold, silver and platinum pens, and Tomiwa Adeosun (2015) stood alongside the boots made during his MA in Fashion Menswear Footwear at the Royal College of Art. Each design in Tomiwa’s ‘Brother’ collection is named after a character on his watch as a firefighter in the London Fire Brigade.
Left to right: Tomiwa Adeosun, Jack Row, Darryl Greatrex (Holland & Holland managing director, RWHA vice president), James Hamill, Nick Farrow (QEST chairman).
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Scholar News
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QEST
Stone carver and sculptor Tom Nicholls won a nationwide competition to create a new gargoyle for Ripon Cathedral, to replace one that was eroded beyond repair. Tom’s design was based on the features of a Daubenton’s bat, an endangered species from the area also known as a ‘water bat’, with reference to
the Gothic style and surrounding gargoyles. It took five weeks to carve from a one tonne block of Highmoor Magnesian Limestone and now springs from its roost on the North Choir Aisle of the Cathedral as a fully functioning overflow for rainwater. tomjnicholls.com londonstonecarving.com
Awards & Competitions
Gail McGarva (2009), a traditional wooden boat builder based in Dorset, has been awarded a Balfour of Burleigh Tercentenary Prize for Exceptional Achievement in Crafts. The prize, presented by Lord Balfour in November 2015, is part of the Radcliffe Trust’s tercentenary celebrations. wbta.co.uk/gail-mcgarva
The altarpiece carved by Antonia Hockton (2005) for Great Bromley Church in Essex was shortlisted for The ACE Award for Art in a Religious Context. Antonia based the narrative design on an extract from Revelations, River of Life, to create an area of contemplation. antoniahockton.co.uk
The 2015 Texprint Woolmark Company Prize at Première Vision Designs in Paris was presented to Royal College of Art graduate and QEST John Smedley Scholar (2015) Jessica Leclère by head of Missoni, Rosita Missoni. The award gave Jessica the opportunity to sell her Merino wool-knitted designs at the Intertextile trade show in Shanghai. jessicaleclere.com
QEST
Scholar News
Milliner Deirdre Hawken (1999) was commissioned by Saks Fifth Avenue to make theatrical jewellery for its flagship New York City store Christmas windows. deirdrehawken.com
The latest art in architecture project by Mel Howse (2008), the first recipient of the QEST Award for Excellence, is a public glass installation at Friese-Greene House in Hove. Friese-Greene was an innovator of film, and created the first moving images. Mel’s art uses reflection, opacity and translucency such that it is animated from inside and outside the building, day and night, in all light conditions.
Commissions & Collections The Caledonian Sleeper has new uniforms and its own tartan thanks to Alan Moore (2014) and his company ten30. A teal Harris tweed jacket and waistcoat is paired with charcoal herringbone trousers, white shirt and a tie in the official Caledonian Sleeper tartan. “As a textile designer, I saw the opportunity to create a tartan to celebrate over 100 years of connecting Scotland and London. I worked with The Scottish Register of Tartans and other experts in tartan design and historical tartan to make sure I was on track (pardon the pun).”
Ceramicist and QEST Eranda Scholar Billy Lloyd (2014) collaborated with Conran and Partners and America’s oldest apparel retailer, Brooks Brothers, for the London Design Festival 2015 RIBA Regent Street Window Project. During a Polo match in the UK in 1896, Brooks Brothers discovered that players on horseback secured their shirt collars with pins so that the collars would not flap while riding. The retailer famously adapted this idea by affixing working buttons to the collars - the original button down polo shirt. Inspired by this story and the array of collars on display that evoked birds in flight, Conran and Partners and Billy created a ‘flock of collars’. “Working much like a tailor would, I made templates and patterns to cut the individual pieces of porcelain. The clay was then pressed between two sheets of canvas to achieve a fine woven texture.” billylloyd.co.uk
The eight colours of the Serco Caledonian Sleeper tartan represent the journey of the train, including grey for the Granite City of Aberdeen, pale blue for Inverness “The Gate to The Water”, purple representing Edinburgh and its Royal connections, and thin red and white lines denoting the St George’s Cross as a symbol of the final stop, London.
melhowse.co.uk
Alan also wanted to represent the best of what Scotland has to offer in textiles and manufacturing. He worked with around 10 small Scottish businesses to create 90% of the uniform, from the cloth woven in the Outer Hebrides to the brass cufflinks forged by a jeweller in Dennistoun. ten30.co.uk QEST Rumi Foundation Scholar Jade Crompton (2015) has combined traditional slip casting and 3D printing to create Crystal, a new ceramic tableware collection. jadecromptonceramics.co.uk
A new headstone and ledger stone for First World War nurse Edith Cavell has been carved for Norwich Cathedral by Wayne Hart (2011) during his artist residency at King’s Lynn Arts Centre. He was chosen for the commission because the cathedral was impressed by his memorial to writer CS Lewis at Westminster Abbey.
The Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery commissioned Rupert Alexander (1996) to paint a portrait of Sir Andrew Wiles, who proved Fermat’s theorem.
Calligrapher Davina Chapman (1992) produced a certificate of authentication for a one-off Onoto Magna pen, which is presented on a stand made of an ancient piece of timber and copper recovered from HMS Victory. It was signed at the London Writing Equipment Show by Mr James Boddy, chairman of the Onoto Pen Company, and auctioned in December 2015.
“I wanted to convey the cerebral world Sir Andrew inhabits,” Rupert noted, “but rather than doing so by furnishing the composition with books or the obligatory blackboard of equations, I tried to imply it simply through the light and atmosphere. Mathematics appears to me an austere discipline, so casting him in a cool, blue light seemed apt.” Sir Andrew Wiles by Rupert Alexander is on display in Room 35 at the National Portrait Gallery.
davinachapman.co.uk
rupertalexander.com
Issue 33 Spring 2016
Weston Scholar Robin Mather (2013), designer and fabricator of steel bicycle frames, is one of six independent, British bike builders profiled at the Design Museum’s Cycle Revolution (until 30 June 2016). The exhibition celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic competition and looks at where innovation may take the riders of the future. robinmathercycles.co.uk designmuseum.org
Designer silversmith Wayne Meeten studied Zougan, Chokin and Uchi-Dashi with Living National Treasure Katsuri Morohito and Naoko Tamura in Tokyo for his QEST Pamela de Tristan Scholarship (2014). He has applied his style of fine Japanese hammer fluting to the design and making of an elegant, contemporary style of walking stick. The ergonomic, sculptural form fits the hand perfectly and beautifully. wvmstudio.com
‘The Silversmith’s Art’ exhibition organised by The Goldsmiths’ Company at the National Museum of Scotland showcased 150 masterpieces made between 2000 - 2015 by 66 contemporary silversmiths, including QEST alumni Rod Kelly (2000), Grant McCaig (2009) and Hazel Thorn (2011). QEST Hedley Foundation Scholar Jennifer Gray (2010) also collaborated with the National Museum of Scotland to recreate long lost Pictish artefacts.
The Goldsmiths’ Fair in London included QEST trustee Fiona Rae and Scholars Jack Row (2013), Elizabeth Peers (2013), Sophie Stamp (2013) and Jessica Poole (2009). thesilversmithsart.co.uk goldsmithsfair.co.uk
Katherine Pogson (2011) completed a residency at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford as part of its ‘NeedMakeUse’ programme. Katherine created a showcase of ‘Objects of Curious Construction’, designed in response to leather objects in the collection. katherinepogson.com
Following her public art commission Hibiscus City in Chengdu, China in 2014, artist blacksmith Jenny Pickford staged her first solo exhibition, SuperNature, at the National Trust’s Courts Garden in Holt. Her large-scale sculptures, including a giant agapanthus and a 3m bluebell, combined forged, galvanised steel, with spectacular blown glass.
Exhibitions & residencies
jennypickford.co.uk
Artist and Empire at Tate Britain (until 10 April 2016) includes the 1879 oil on canvas The Remnants of an Army by painter of military scenes Lady Elizabeth Butler, recently conserved for the exhibition by Tate’s Rebecca Hellen (1996). tate.org.uk Kerry Lemon (2007) is undertaking an experimental drawing residency in Plant Molecular Science at Royal Holloway University funded by Ted Baker. “This enables me to collaborate with scientists to explore the potential of turning my highly personal, altered drawings of flowers (above) into real plants that grow and exist in the real world.” kerrylemon.co.uk As a direct result of her QEST Scholarship, Weston Scholar Margaret Jones (2014) organised a tapestry exhibition, Heallreaf, at West Dean College, featuring work from weavers in the UK, Europe, Australia, the US and Canada. margaretjonesartistweaver.com
QEST
Scholar News
QEST Clothworkers’ Company Scholar Sarai Vardi (2012) is a book conservator working at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew on a unique collection of Exsiccatae. These bindings contain pressed plants collected from as far afield as India and New Zealand to more local Scottish seaweeds and plants from Kew’s own gardens. “I have learned all about botanic conservation, as many of the specimens mounted to the pages were damaged and required treatment. We have uncovered some rather racy stories behind the original owners of some of the books too.”
Mary French (centre) and Emma Nichols (right).
QEST Clothworkers’ Company Scholars (2012) and Cambridge University Library conservators Mary French and Emma Nichols recently completed a project conserving the Lewis-Gibson Collection from the Cairo Genizah, described by Simon Schama as “the single most complete archive of a society anywhere in the whole medieval world”. A public exhibition of these paper and parchment manuscripts, and of the extraordinary life of the twin sisters who played such a vital role in the discovery of the Cairo Genizah in the 1890s, will be held in 2017 at Cambridge University Library’s Milstein Exhibition Centre. Emma and Mary are now working on the conservation of archives from the WWII male civilian internment camp at Changi in Singapore, a project funded by the Wellcome Trust. lib.cam.ac.uk
Conservation Stained glass artist Sophie D’Souza (2010) and jeweller Zoe Harding (2004) met at a QEST tour of HM Tower of London organised by fellow Scholar Mia Sabel. Zoe mentioned that she had always wanted to try making a stained glass window. Sophie said if she were to choose a career in another craft it would be as a jewellery maker. A QEST craft skills swap was agreed instantly.
Skills Swap
Sophie sent her designs, a lizard on a leaf, for a ring and necklace to Zoe. “Zoe had a rolling mill and we used a skeleton leaf to imprint the silver,” said Sophie, “I could not believe the texture and detail.” Cutting the pattern with a saw, particularly the lizard’s tiny toes, she found quite challenging. The soldering Sophie was more used to from her own work. But the finishing… “you have to keep polishing, and polishing, and polishing. I kept thinking I had finished, and Zoe would say ‘no, keep polishing’. You have to be very disciplined and patient to be a jeweller. I have utter respect for Zoe and enjoyed the indulgence of making my own jewellery.”
Zoe loved the creative process of making the window. She chose a Victorian style pattern for a panel above the front door, in keeping with the era of her home. For Sophie, helping Zoe with the complicated design made her reflect and realise quite how much goes into what she does, and how many elements of the craft have become second nature over the years. Zoe found similarities in the design process, but new skills were required for the scale of working with the glass. “Getting the panes to line up properly when they kept shifting slightly, pushing other pieces away, was quite fiddly. And it was tricky to understand how to pin together before putting the lead in,” said Zoe. “Also, I had to modify my design - mainly blue with some yellow, burgundy and pink – when I realised how super expensive the pink glass was.”
sophiedsouzastainedglass.co.uk
Zoe walks past her first stained glass window every day (the second, for the front door, is already in the planning), and Sophie proudly wore her ring and necklace to the RWHA Trade Fair. zoeharding.com
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My QEST
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MY QEST Nick Crean QEST Trustee, Honorary Treasurer and Chairman of the Development Committee
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Which Royal Warrant holding company are you Grantee for? I am chairman and joint managing director of Prestat, which was granted a Royal Warrant as Purveyors of Chocolates to Her Majesty The Queen in 1975. I had known the shop as a young boy, and felt a childlike excitement when the opportunity came for my brother Bill and I to take ownership in 1998. As Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, wrote: “I do so love chocolate truffles as Prestat makes them.” And today we make them, always by hand, in flavours even he hadn’t dreamt of: Yuzu Sake, London Gin, Pink Marc de Champagne, Red Velvet, Sea Salt Caramel and Black Forest Gateau. Which recent work by a QEST Scholar or Apprentice has caught your eye? I adore stained glass windows. Before we were a literary nation, they were the most vivid form of storytelling, with an awe-inspiring amount of colour and dramatic impact. QEST Scholar Eleanor Bird (2008) recently unveiled a stunning stained glass window - Bruckner 3 - in collaboration with Gerhard Symons of Bruckner 200. Two-and-a-half years in the making, and composed of at least 200 separate glass pieces, it is a wonderful symphony to celebrate the music of Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). And one that has captured your imagination? Earlier in my career I had a spell as documentary maker and got thoroughly absorbed by a project on 1930s surrealist cinema. I was reminded of this recently when I saw the fanciful latest work of Amelia Crowley-Roth (2015). Amelia has made a collection of furniture inspired by Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the books and create new ways of thinking about how to use the intricate craft of wood carving. There’s a three-legged table with an inlaid chessboard of holly and iron wood and an overmantle mirror. Typical antiques at first glance, but as in Wonderland, everything isn’t as it seems. The table legs are flamingos standing on their heads, and on closer inspection the looking glass (verre églomisé – white gold leaf on glass) reflects hidden references to the book: a tiny white pawn, the King and Queen, and baby Lily screaming her heart out. Finely crafted and seemingly sensible, yet discreetly playful and mischievous - perfect! I would love to showcase this work in a Prestat Café – pink, blue and gold are our colours. You’re an avid follower of National Hunt racing. Are there any QEST Scholars in this field? Helen Reader shares my family’s passion for horses. She has ridden for more than 30 years, and hand stitches top quality, bespoke bridlework in English leather. Already a Master Saddle & Harness Maker and Registered Qualified Saddle Fitter, Helen’s QEST Scholarship (2015), supported by The Leathersellers’ Company, is enabling her to pursue a keen interest in restoring and manufacturing side saddles. Hot tip: look out for Coneygree, the best is yet to come.
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Whose apprentice would you like to be? I am fascinated by the course that QEST Scholar Christabel Helena Anderson (2011) taught on the practice of manuscript illumination for the Royal Collection. It was inspired by the 15th century, illuminated Sobieski Book of Hours, and the first day was spent viewing this exquisite work at Windsor Castle. Over three further days at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London, Christabel explored methods and materials, from making paints to understanding gold leaf. The course concluded with the making of two small illumination projects. Who knows, Prestat loves gold, so I might discover a hidden talent and the next Prestat limited edition design.
Issue 33 Spring 2016
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Which QEST Scholar would you most like to commission? Following an apprenticeship in stone masonry, Zoe Barnett (2014) is currently studying historical stone carving at the City and Guilds of London Art School – I would feel most at home with one of her fireplaces. We have nearly completed the restoration of a 17th century manor farmhouse in Wiltshire. The library, posh word for telly room nowadays, could really benefit from a beautiful but simple stone fire surround. What are your hopes for QEST in 2016? Viscount Linley will host our first QEST Fundraising Dinner in The Raphael Gallery at the V&A in February to commence Her Majesty The Queen’s Royal patronage of QEST. It promises to be a spectacular evening, and will be attended by supporters of British craftsmanship from all over the world. QEST Scholars and Apprentices will be working away, and the dinner itself will be a celebration of craft, from Johnnie Walker’s and Tanqueray’s cocktail makers, to the experiential dessert table. We hope that many hands will be busy during the auction too, raising significant funds to support more talented QEST beneficiaries.
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1 & 2. Bruckner 3 stained glass window by Eleanor Bird (glass-schemes.co.uk) 3. Overmantle mirror by Amelia Crowley-Roth (londonwoodcarving.com) 4. Stone fireplace by Zoe Barnett (zbarnett.com) 5. Manuscript illumination with Christabel Helena Anderson (christabelanderson.com) 6. Zoe Barnett working on a cartouche 7. Side saddle by Helen Reader (hrsaddlery.com) 8. Sobieski Book of Hours 9. Bridlework by Helen Reader 10. Nick Crean at Prestat (prestat.co.uk)
Issue 33 Spring 2016
QEST Ambassador Julie Deane OBE, CEO and Founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company, recently became a QEST ambassador. She is already an ardent supporter of British craftsmanship through her own factory, and of the Business is GREAT campaign, which aims to build confidence among small businesses to encourage them to grow. An unlikely fashion entrepreneur, Julie graduated from Cambridge University in 1987 and worked as a chartered accountant. After a period at home bringing up her children, in 2008 she came up with the idea of making traditional leather satchels for the schoolchildren of Cambridge. She invested just £600 and lots of energy and determination to get her plans off the ground. Eight years on, Julie has created an explosion in popularity for her handmade-in-Britain satchels and collaborated with designers including Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons. The company employs more than 130 people, the bags are sold in over 120 countries, and Julie was awarded an OBE for services to entrepreneurship in the 2015 New Year’s Honours list. Committed to preserving British manufacturing from the beginning, Julie has ensured that each stage in the production of every bag has taken place on British soil. The company’s success has driven re-skilling from its Leicestershire factory, taking on apprentices and encouraging people to embrace craftsmanship. Her latest project is leading an independent review of self-employment in the UK (there are over 4.5 million people currently working for themselves) that will report to the government on the opportunities for growing and supporting this population. “The possibilities are greater than ever,” says Julie. “The internet is invaluable - from research to e-commerce - and social media opens conversations directly with consumers.” Her hope is for a platform that brings all the business essentials together in an engaging, approachable way to help those with the spark of an idea to get it off the ground. Julie and her team are fundraising for QEST too with a limited edition collection of The Cambridge Satchel Company bags embossed with the QEST logo in gold foil. The QEST collection includes the brand’s most iconic style, the classic satchel, and a bag to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday, inspired by heritage binocular cases and her love of horse racing.
cambridgesatchel.com
QEST
Special Editions
QEST invited Royal Warrant holding
THE CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL COMPANY
companies and supporters of British craft to create special edition products to
QEST special edition collection
mark Her Majesty The Queen becoming
of its most iconic styles in
Britain’s longest reigning monarch in
leather, handmade at
oxblood and navy saddle
2015, and Her Majesty’s patronage of
The Cambridge Satchel
QEST and 90th Birthday in 2016. All
£245 - £285
Company factory. cambridgesatchel.com
participating companies have made a donation or pledged a percentage of their proceeds to support future QEST Scholars and Apprentices.
MAPPIN & WEBB
Sterling silver QEST photo frame engraved with an English rose taken from
Money
Mappin & Webb’s ‘Red Book’ of historic decorative motifs designed for Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
Makers £225
mappinandwebb.com
PRESTAT
Fabulous Organic Chocolate Truffles with a caramel theme, including Prestat’s award-winning sea salt caramel in dark chocolate, boxed with a new design, Sunrise at Glastonbury. £16.50 - £25
prestat.co.uk
JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN
Capsule collection of limited edition Johnstons of Elgin cashmere blankets designed with QEST Scholars specialising in textiles – Cheryl Branford-Peers, Tara Osborough, Kim Norrie, Franki Brewer and Juliet Bailey (Dash and Miller). £495
johnstonscashmere.com
“The manufacturing capabilities at Johnstons of Elgin astounded and inspired me. The subtle tones reflect the factory buildings and the striped highlights the refined textiles they make.” Cheryl Branford-Peers, QEST Scholar (2005)
Issue 33 Spring 2016
WALKERS SHORTBREAD
Two celebratory tins of Walkers’ pure butter Union Jack shortbread, one to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s record reign, the other Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. £7
walkersshortbread.com
DONALD RUSSELL
Two special cuts of Donald Russell’s finest, grass-fed, British lamb – Guard of Honour, with French-trimmed bones interlocked like soldiers’ swords, and Crown Roast, two racks tied skillfully into a circle. £19 - £39
donaldrussell.com
LOCK & CO
QEST Panama (limited edition of 40) that bears the hallmarks of this Lock & Co classic - smart brim, sleek leather headband - and an elegant trip made in QEST colours. £250
lockhatters.co.uk
ROBERTS RADIO
Limited edition (250) Revival DAB radio in Royal Burgundy gloss to reflect the colour of the Coronation car, featuring a commemorative badge and certificate signed by the chairmen of Roberts Radio and QEST. £250
johnlewis.com
This initiative is proving successful in both raising funds and awareness. If your company would like to support QEST through its products or services, we would by very pleased to BENDICKS
Limited edition, commemorative box of Elizabethan Dark Chocolate Mints - soft fondant infused with pure peppermint oil, double enrobed in rich, dark chocolate. £7.99
bendicks.co.uk
hear from you to discuss ideas and ways you could be involved. Contact QEST Development Manager Alanna Fisher at Alanna.Fisher@qest.org.uk or call 020 7798 1533.
QEST
About QEST
QEST
Supporting Excellence In British Craftsmanship
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is a charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, established in 1990 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and the 150th anniversary of the Association. The charity is committed to funding the education of talented craftspeople – QEST Scholars and QEST Apprentices - helping them to reach their potential through college courses, apprenticeships or one-to-one training with masters. Since its founding, QEST has awarded over £2.7 million to 384 craftspeople, from school leavers to those embarking on a second career, in over 130 skill sectors. These range from heritage and rural crafts to cuttingedge, sustainable textiles and design, and conservation skills in paper and paintings that are crucial to preserving our history for future generations. QEST’s support has enabled considerable success for its grantees at a critical time in their professional development and made a major contribution to sustaining the British craft industry. Testament to the rigorous selection process and support given to QEST Scholars over the last 25 years, 93% are still practicing. Importantly, many have learned rare skills, often from a last surviving master, retaining knowledge necessary for the many industries reliant upon their aptitude. QEST SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships worth up to £18,000 are awarded each spring to craftspeople with exceptional talent, to help advance their education and skills in a wide range of traditional and modern crafts in the UK. The Trustees look for well thought out proposals that highlight applicants’ financial need and commitment to their craft.
QEST APPRENTICESHIPS Apprenticeships worth up to £18,000 are awarded each autumn to help those with passion, but little experience, to follow a career in their chosen craft. Their prospective employer or chosen master craftsman must apply with the apprentice, outlining a full training programme that is assessed by the Trustees.
Patron Her Majesty The Queen Vice Patrons Viscount Linley Marquess of Salisbury KCVO PC DL Chairman & Trustee Nick Farrow, Farrows Honorary Treasurer & Trustee Nick Crean, Prestat Trustees Christina Abbott, Burberry Mark Henderson, Gieves & Hawkes
Registered Charity No.1152032
Steve Macleod, Metro Imaging Alec McQuin, Rokill Fiona Rae, Goldsmith and Enameller
To find out more or to apply online, visit qest.org.uk.
Royal Warrant Holders Association President Robin Wodehouse Secretary Richard Peck
QEST Office Executive Director Lyanne Nicholl Grants & Communications Manager Julia Robinson Development Manager Alanna Fisher Development Officer Natalia Douglas
Design and print Farrows, farrows.co.uk Media Enquiries Momiji Matsuura Ideas Network +44 (0)20 7351 4719 momiji@ideasnetwork.co.uk
Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust 1 Buckingham Place London SW1E 6HR +44 (0)20 7798 1535
Neil Stevenson, N.E.J. Stevenson
QEST Magazine
info@qest.org.uk
Ambassadors
Editor Karen Bennett Keysmith kb@keysmith.co.uk
www.qest.org.uk
Julie Deane, OBE Sir Bryan Nicholson, GBE Scott Simpson
@QESTcraft queenelizabethscholarshiptrust
Issue 33 Spring 2016
Supporting
QEST
SPONSOR A QEST SCHOLARSHIP OR APPRENTICESHIP Enjoy following the progress you have enabled in an inspiring craftsperson, and perhaps explore the potential to work collaboratively. The full funding of a grant will be recognised by the naming of the Scholarship or Apprenticeship. SPECIAL EDITION PRODUCTS OR SERVICES Become one of QEST’s ‘money makers’ and promote your company’s philanthropy through an existing product or specially created item or experience, maybe engaging the creativity of a QEST Scholar, and pledging a percentage of proceeds or donation to QEST. A GOOD READ Take an advert for your company in the biannual QEST Magazine to help spread the word about British craftsmanship. CREATE A LEGACY Remembering QEST when making a will means that both skills and, as a result, beautifully made objects can be passed on to successive generations.
One-of-a-kind QEST Duofold Queen Elizabeth 90th Birthday Edition by Parker, donated for auction
HOST A PATRON’S LUNCH On Sunday 12th June 2016, The Patron’s Lunch will celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s patronage of over 600 charities and organisations on the occasion of her 90th birthday. QEST, the most recent charity to receive Her Majesty’s patronage, is honoured to be part of this recognition for a lifetime of service and is encouraging Royal Warrant holding companies, supporters of QEST, Scholars and Apprentices to put on their creative hats to think of ways to host a local Patron’s Lunch event and raise money for QEST. The Patron’s Lunch partners have all the ingredients you need - Pimm’s, Marks & Spencer, Boots, Unilever (PG Tips and Wall’s) and BT’s MyDonate. thepatronslunch.com @thepatronslunch
Contact QEST on 020 7798 1535 or info@qest.org.uk.
QEST Donors QEST, its Scholars and Apprentices would like to acknowledge and thank its donors for their unstinting generosity and support in 2015. Adam Connolly Memorial Fund Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Associated Livery Companies Bendicks
Edinburgh Royal Warrant
John Walker & Sons
The Rumi Foundation
Holders Association
The Kirby Laing Foundation
Sandringham Association of
Ernest Cook Trust
The Leathersellers’ Company
Royal Warrant Holders
Fattorini
Charitable Fund
Sir Siegmund Warburg Settlement
Finnis Scott Foundation
Lock & Co.
Sleepeezee
Glen Dimplex Home Appliances
Made in Britain Campaign
Stephen Moss CBE
Globe-Trotter
Mappin & Webb
Tom Smith
McLaren
Walker & Wodehouse Wines
Moët et Chandon
Westward Care Homes
The National Association of Decorative
The Worshipful Company of
& Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS)
Wood Turners
Nick Strachan
The Worshipful Company of Pewterers
Otto van der Wyck
The Wren Press
Pamela de Tristan Scholarship
Zone Creations
“Retaining and developing traditional craftsmanship and critical textile skills is vital and the reason it makes perfect sense for us to collaborate with highly talented QEST scholars.” Jenny Houldsworth Johnstons of Elgin
Parker Pens Partridges Paul Spencer CBE
Brian Mercer Charitable Trust CHK Charities
The Hedley Foundation
The Pennies Foundation
The Cambridge Satchel Company
Holland & Holland
Prestat
Clarins
Howdens Joinery
The Prince of Wales’s Charitable
The Clothworkers’ Company
Humphrey Avon
Foundation
Coleman Douglas Pearls
The Iliffe Family Charitable Trust
The Radcliffe Trust
David Blackburn
J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust
Roberts Radio
Dengie Crops
John Smedley
Robin Wodehouse
The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
Johnstons of Elgin
Roy Olsen
“Our whisky makers coppersmiths, coopers and blenders -were proud to work with fellow craftspeople to raise money for QEST, and are enjoying supporting and working with the first of our annual QEST Johnnie Walker Scholars.” David Gates John Walker & Sons
Issue 33 Spring 2016
QEST APPRENTICES 2015 In 2014, we piloted a QEST Apprenticeship scheme to support new craft talent, encourage youth employment and contribute to bridging the skills gap nationwide. This was a great success for our first six QEST Apprentices and their employers, all master craftspeople or small craft businesses enthusiastic to train the next generation of a skilled workforce. Potter Isatu Hyde apprenticed to Andrew Couch in Ludlow, cordwainer Alistair Raphael with Carréducker, Parham Alizadeh and William Powell with shoemaker John Lobb, carpenter and construction training specialist Curtis Chipperfield with W.S. Lushers & Sons, and Paul Kirkos is learning to become a chaser in the silver workshops at Hamilton & Inches. They are thriving. The 2015 applicants were full of promise. In each interview – apprentice with their employer - the passion for their craft and commitment to forge a career was palpable. We had the unenviable task of whittling down the candidates to a final group of 11 who would otherwise be unable to take this path. QEST will supplement their wages and training costs, and each employer has agreed to support their apprentice until they are industry ready.
“Meet the class of 2015 - our new, gifted QEST Apprentices.”
Fiona Rae QEST Trustee
CHARLOTTE McGRATH CULINARY ARTS QEST COOKS’ COMPANY APPRENTICE
Charlotte McGrath is a chef on The James St. South Apprenticeship Progamme, which launched in Belfast in 2014. This small restaurant group and cookery school founded by Niall McKenna was struggling to find quality people for its kitchens, and so they decided to make their own skilled, motivated chefs in house.
SOPHIE MICHAEL
Charlotte is cooking with head chef David Gillmore and his team, as well as studying for a professional cookery qualification at Belfast Met and meeting producers.
ANALOGUE FILM CONSERVATION
James St. South has guaranteed Charlotte a full time job on completion of her yearlong training, the first step towards her goal of running an award-winning kitchen.
QEST GLEN DIMPLEX APPRENTICE
Sophie Michael is an artist working with photography and analogue film, one of the most recent sectors to be recognised with craft status. Her apprenticeship in the field will be one of the first. Sophie will focus on 16mm film display and bespoke installation techniques within Kino Club, the leading 16mm film presentation service for the UK and overseas. She will learn from David Leister how to fulfil specialist demand from curators at galleries, museums and independent cinemas wishing to safely present new and historical works in their collections.
“I hope my training will enable David and me, and fellow artists, to continue to make our work visible to new audiences and make the material of 16mm more accessible to new generations of experimenting filmmakers.” www.sophiemichael.co.uk | www.kinoclub.co.uk
jamesstreetsouth.co.uk
“QEST has given me the chance to learn from some of Northern Ireland’s finest chefs and I am gaining a greater appreciation of working with local ingredients.”
Invitations y Corporate Branding y Special Occasions y Personal Stationery Quality, Prestige and the very best in English Craftsmanship Experts in bespoke stationery and proud holders of two Royal Warrants 1 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5HD Tel. +44 (0) 20 7351 5887 Email. info@wrenpress.com
www.wrenpress.co.uk
Issue 33 Spring 2016
SHANNON KNIGHT OPTICAL DIAMOND SETTING QEST APPRENTICE
Shannon Knight is a jewellery designer and master modelmaker originally from Rhode Island, USA. Her background in hand carving pewter prototypes, bench skills working with precious metals and a longstanding interest in stone setting led Shannon to apply for an apprenticeship with Jessica Poole, fine jeweller and QEST Scholar (2009). Jessica specialises in micro pavé, a standard of diamond setting that demands accuracy to one tenth of a millimetre and is diminishing within the UK jewellery industry. Shannon finds the prospect of mastering a technique that draws from traditional craftsmanship and new technology fascinating.
shannonknightjewellery.com | jessicapoole.co.uk
“My apprenticeship gives me the opportunity to learn daily from a master of a craft rarely practiced in the UK. Once fully trained, Jessica and I will be able to work as a team to meet more of the demand for excellent quality, high-end stone setting.”
SARAH JARMAN TRADITIONAL SIGN PAINTING
“Working in Hand & Lock’s London atelier, I am surrounded by the world’s finest embroidery as I refine my monogramming and goldwork.”
QEST BRIAN MERCER RADCLIFFE APPRENTICE
Sarah Jarman is an artist living in County Durham. She worked for seven years in museum outreach and volunteering before pursuing her life-long passion for painting in 2014. Sarah was keen to learn sign writing, including hand lettering, coach painting and gold leaf on glass. The only route is to train under a master, and she was determined to help fill a skills gap in the North East of England. An opportunity arose for an apprenticeship with Phil Anderson, a traditional sign writer based in Stockton-on-Tees. Sarah is working on honours boards, business signs, decorative fairground work and murals, using her pictorial painting skills to complement the traditional sign writing.
sarahjarmanart.co.uk | philandersonsigns.co.uk “I’ve worked with Phil on heritage vehicle repaints including a 1909 railway carriage built for the Duke of Sutherland and a 1907 Sheffield tram, crest painting and developing my gold leaf skills on
JUSTINE BONENFANT EMBROIDERY QEST BRODERERS’ COMPANY APPRENTICE
Originally from northern France, Justine Bonenfant is a London-based embellishment designer and embroidery artisan who works with houses including Ralph & Russo, Pinghe and Jasper Conran. Following a fashion degree at Esmod International, Justine assisted designers in Marrakech and London. Whilst researching fabric in Milan and Paris she developed an interest in handcrafted textiles that led her to the Lesage School in Paris to improve her knowledge in hand embroidery, from Luneville to silkshading. Justine has undertaken a six-month apprenticeship at traditional embroidery company Hand & Lock and shares their commitment to bringing these heritage skills to the present. She translates timeless techniques into contemporary design, for example combining plastic with precious gold.
the carriage.” justinebonenfant.com | handembroidery.com
QEST
Apprentices
JOHN KYNASTON FARRIERY QEST DAVID BLACKBURN APPRENTICE
John Kynaston, who rode and loved horses from an early age, has returned to the family farm to work alongside a training farrier, his brother Derek. John completed work experience and a forge work course before embarking on this path, whereupon he discovered his age, previous education and course length made him ineligible for most grants or loans. The QEST funding is enabling John to study for a diploma at Hereford College, designed so the majority of learning is done with his employer. They work on specialist shoes for competition and racehorses, and even onager and zebras through having Chester Zoo as a client.
SEAN HENDERSON STONEMASONRY QEST ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION APPRENTICE
Sean Henderson was drawn to the craft of stonemasonry having seen many great feats of engineering and building on his travels, achievements he wanted to help preserve. “Following my diploma, it is my ambition to gain AWCF status, with a particular focus on advanced remedial shoemaking. In 10 years, I hope this will enable me to take on apprentices of my own.”
He contacted master mason and QEST Scholar Matthias Garn (2003) and was struck by his dedication. Sean is now undertaking a three-year course at York College to provide him with the practical and theoretical fundamentals. At the same time he is employed by Matthias’ highly specialised workshop in York that works solely in the heritage sector. At MGMMP Sean is developing the dexterity, rhythm and muscle memory that masons have always learned. These two learning environments enable Sean to apply and adapt his training on historic sites.
“I love the purist approach to stonemasonry, only using hand tools for the first two years. And the history – going to a ruin that needs consolidation there’s always a story to unearth too.” matthiasgarn.com
THOMAS SARGEANT STONE CARVING & LETTER CUTTING QEST MASONS’ COMPANY APPRENTICE
Thomas Sargeant is a stone carver who specialises in fine letter carving, with a love for the material and how it can be crafted inherited from his father. The grant has set Tom on his own path to becoming a professional maker with a year-long tutelage under Christopher Elsey at The Stone Carving and Lettering Studio in Sussex, after which he will become a partner. Tom works on memorial and public artwork, taking part in all stages of production. He also takes on his own commissions, most notably his winning design for a commemorative plaque to Oscar Wilde and a memorial to those who lost their lives in the liberation of Kuwait that will be placed in St Paul’s Cathedral.
thomassargeant.com chriselsey.co.uk
“Chris has taught me to see letters differently, to de-construct them. I recently carved an alphabet for a Masters and Apprentices exhibition that represents my learning curve in understanding letter forms.”
QEST
Apprentices
“Being at Dash and Miller is a great opportunity to work on inspiring projects and seasonal portfolios for a wide breadth of clients in the fashion and interior industries.”
LIBBY KATES WOVEN TEXTILES QEST APPRENTICE
Libby Kates is a textile designer specialising in woven fabrics. She has strong technical understanding, a sophisticated design approach and good eye for colour. She graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2012 with a first class BA Hons degree in Textile Design and her first collection of fabrics was exhibited in London and Shanghai. Libby applied to QEST with Dash and Miller, an exciting woven design studio in Bristol founded by QEST Scholars Juliet Bailey and Franki Brewer. She is developing her design and hand-weaving skills, combining interesting techniques and yarns to create innovative fabrics.
libbykates.com | dashandmiller.com
OSCAR WHAPHAM WOODCARVING QEST MADE IN BRITAIN APPRENTICE
Oscar Whapham became a gilding apprentice at W. Thomas Restorations aged 17. The more advanced the work he was given, the more he enjoyed it.
SAM McMAHON JEWELLERY QEST HEDLEY FOUNDATION APPRENTICE
On leaving school in 2014, Sam McMahon joined the Goldsmiths Centre Foundation Programme, which he passed with distinction and received the award for outstanding achievement. Sam’s search for an apprenticeship position took him to Mappin & Webb’s workshop, which was unlike anything he’d ever seen. He is now part of that talented and experienced team, apprenticed as a diamond mounter under Crown Jeweller Martin Swift. He is relishing every moment, developing a strong affinity with the precious metals he works with.
“I have always wanted to be the best craftsman I can be, but since joining Mappin & Webb I now wish to run the workshop someday too and possibly become the Crown Jeweller. I love what I’m learning.” mappinandwebb.com
After a few years of work and education, moving into a five-year woodcarving apprenticeship supplemented by part-time release to art school was a natural progression. Oscar aims to master the skills of both woodcarving and gilding to keep these traditions alive. There are very few master carvers left in the country, and this will improve his future career in the restoration of antiques and historic objects.
“My specialty with master carver Ray Dudman and City & Guilds hasn’t been taught for many years. I hope to achieve a greater understanding of furniture and to gain new skills to help the company in the future.” thomasrestorations.com
APPRENTICES
“Kissing Foxes” by Shannon Knight
Issue 33 Spring 2016
QEST supports the education and training of talented craftspeople in order to ensure sustainability of traditional craftsmanship within Britain.