ridley scott film on hold

This morning started with a radio interview at 7.15 on Radio Derby about the Ridley Scott commission and during the day I was packing up the bowls which are all ready to go now. I am pleased with them but they do look a bit drap since they wanted them untreated so that it will be easier for the props guys to age them.


Then when arranging collection I found out that the film has been put on hold due apparently to the actors strike. They hope they may be able to film in November but it all sounds a little up in the air. They still want the bowls but there is no certainty I will ever get to see them on the big screen.

laburnum and silver

These two bowls are just off to a customer, a nice chap who has been collecting my work for a couple of years and has a taste for nice pieces. I did some photos of them for Goldsmiths magazine for an article they want to run and the laburnum photographs really well. Top one is a mazer and the bottom one a quaich, a Scottish whiskey drinking vessel.






Here are a couple of articles int he local press on our mazers.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/Craftsmen-with-much-to-Crowe.4287937.jp

http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Craftsmen-ready-to-bowl-over.4291569.jp

a bit of fun with the press

These days it is not enough to simply make nice things. In order to make a living craftsmen have to be businessmen too, in fact probably less than half my working time is spent actually making things, I spend a fair bit of time answering emails, packaging and posting work out, fetching wood, forging tools, doing the books etc.

Today was a good example last week I sent out some details to the local press in Sheffield about the mazers we have been making for Ridley Scott's film. This morning started with a trip into BBC Radio Sheffield to record an interview for tomorrows breakfast show with Toby Foster
Then with Owen Waterhouse the silver smith and David Allison the silver spinner who have been working on the mazers with me we posed for press photos.


Sometimes this sort of thing feels like a bit of a waste of working time but other times it feels worthwhile as the publicity hopefully keeps the orders coming in. This afternoon was spent sorting my vans MOT which is done for the next year now and a bit more time at the computer to write the blog, send some images of mazers to "Goldsmiths" magazine and package some mail order bowls up then I will be done.

a new forge

I have been forging my own woodturning tools for more than 15 years but for all that time I have borrowed other peoples forges which has its drawbacks. Today I took delivery of my very own new (to me) forge. It's a gas powered forge similar to the ones farriers use and because it is small and well insulated will run for a very long time on a small bottle of gas. So now when I break a tool or get half way through a job and think that a different tool shape would maybe work better I will be able to go straight to the forge and make one. I am still flat out turning bowls for the Ridley Scott film so other than a quick fire up to check it all worked I have to resist the temptation to play for a couple of weeks.


My swallow family are not doing too well this year, they have only raised three young but they are pretty big now and should make it. They have got big enough to hoist their back ends out of the nest and poo all over the workshop. Every year I forget just how much mess they make but I still love having them in the workshop with me.