Victoria's Graduation Day

Graduation at Bath Spa University.

Friday we travelled to Bath for Victoria’s Graduation this is the conclusion for her after three years full time study at Bath Spa University where she achieved a 2:1 degree. This means she now has a BA with honours for music more letters to add after her name!
Victoria has studied and loved to play music since she was about 7 years old.
Now she is home in Norfolk the real work begins finding a job and continuing to create and share her music through teaching and performance, I’m not sure if she realizes the real learning is only just beginning it will be interesting to watch and support as she continues to develop and grow, she will need to make important decisions along the way, some I am sure will be good ones, while others may well become regrets! but this is all part of the learning and growing that the University education cannot teach.
Jane and I are both extremely proud of Victoria; Jane at times during the day even had tears in her eyes as the day unfolded.
Congratulations Victoria or should I say, "Little one"

Here she shaking the hand of Mr Joe Bennett, Dean for the School of Music and Performing Arts.

A group shot with one of her tutors:

Prof James Saunders and some fellow students from her composition group.

Norfolk and Norwich Open Studios 2012

Norfolk and Norwich Open Studios is here againToday was the first day and I havelopened my workshop/studio and gallery to the public.
If you have never taken part in this event this is great opportunity to travel around the county of Norfolk looking at Artists studios their work, and where they create it.
To find out more visit the website.
www.nnfestival.org.uk/openstudios
My workshop/ Studio. Will be open
From 10:00- 17:00hrs
During the weekends of:
May 26, 27.
June 2, 3, 4, 5. and 9,10.

I look forward to seeing you during the event.

Happy February

Having had the flu and starting to feel better I felt it was time to give you all a brief update.
I had a slow start to the year the book Contemporary Woodturning. Techniques and Projects is finally finished so now I can move on from that project, it certainly took some serious commitment to complete, all I have to do now is wait for the printed copies to arrive this should be late May/June fingers crossed.
January was unusually busy and work is steadily gathering pace after a good start.
I have decided to take part in the NNOS(Norfolk and Norwich Open studios) event this year this takes place in May/June.
Hopefully I will see lots of you here in my workshop/studio, I am also taking part in several exhibitions throughout the year.

The first of which is at One Church Street Gallery Great Missenden this runs Feb 8th until March 10th 2012.
Others to follow include The (NCCS) Norfolk contemporary Craft Society exhibition in October celebrating their 40th Anniversary.
The Wizardry in Wood Exhibition in October.
Im sure there are others but cannot think of them just now.

I have the usual round of club demonstrations throughout the year as well as production turning/teaching to keep me busy when not writing further articles for GMC publications these articles have a 20 working day turnover so time has to constantly be managed carefully to fit everything into the schedule. We live by the wall planner and diary and commit to nothing before their consultation.

A question was recently asked on another blog that I follow “What is your time worth” My answer is simple: more than it used to be. As costs continue to escalate, so does the rate for my time.

After all every time my van is serviced it costs more each time, as do the parts used to maintain and make needed repairs.

Finally a rather belated Happy New Year to one and all. I hope to see some of you throughout the year.

A Family Day Out

Jane and I had a day out planned with Jennifer and lilly-Rose today at Cromer we had a rather lazy start to the day luckily as Victoria my youngest daughter made a suprise home visit and decided to come to with us for the day out.



It was lazy wind today ,One that doesnt bother going around you but goes straight through,

well that is how the winter winds are often refered to around here, as you can see it was a little fresh/bracing on the sea wall at the top of the cliffs.I think Victoria looks a little cold well iot is warmer down in Bath!



We had lunch at the cafe above the pier, fish and chips looking out to sea has to be one of my favorite meals considering the company today, with all my girls together, it allways amazes me just how much they enjoy being together !?



After lunch we wandered around the town keeping out of the wind Lilly-Rose found a friend to chat with in her own special language and even kissed him goodbye.



We had a great day out together and it was nice to see Victoria back from Bath if only for a few days as lectures have been cancelled.



Work And The Winter Ahead.

"WE HAD SNOW THIS TIME LAST YEAR" but not this time!

Its Monday tommorrow and back to work, the book is in its final stages demos are finished for the year I had great fun meeting loads of people at Harrogate woodworking show last weekend sales for the new DVD Ying and Yang are going well if you havent got your copy yet go to KTMP's website and place an order,or give me a call.



I am currently trying to decide how to add a small shopping area to my website, hopefully this will get done over the next few weeks, but I need tyo write two new articles for GMC Woodturning Magazine before Christmas hopefully not too much will get in the way and I will get everything done before Christmas.

I am also starting to work on some new pieces over the winter much of the reasearch is done its onto the cartooons next before committing to turned piece, I think this will include much more carving and colouring than colouring.

I have a question for my Blog readers:Should I take part in The Norfolk Open Studio's scheme next year if you would like to see my work and where I work then let me know.

A long and busy Summer.....

This has been the busiest year for me, with no time to think of having any spare, it all started back in March as we began writing the book, as the year gained momentum and progressively more intense I had to concentrate upon key deadlines, both for the book and my magazine articles, I also managed find time along the way to edit of my second DVD Ying and Yang, I have just received the final cut and will be releasing Ying and Yang in a few weeks at The Harrogate show, in Novemeber. If you enjoyed my first DVD platter magic give Karl at KTMP or myself a call to get your copy,
The DVD is 5 hours long, and packed with great information and tips, it has been broken down into easy to follow chapters. At £19:99 its great value for money.


I did manage a brief scheduled rest-bite in June, when I travelled to Dublin to judge the annual RDS craft competition for the third time, this is always great to do as you get to see all the other crafts entered as well as your own.


I demonstrated as one of the lead demonstrators at The AWGB Bi-annual symposium at the beginning of August, 10 days later I found myself doing it all over in Waco Texas I am told this is the second largest symposium in America.
No sooner than Jane and I arrived home, it was straight back to the book editss and magazine articles again.

I have travelled across the UK this year to give several all day and evening demonstrations at clubs, it really has been a very busy year.
I also managed to teach quite a few students here in my workshop, its all become a bit of a blur I'm afraid.
The year is not yet over and there is much ahead in my diary. Over the next few weeks I have 15 days of tuition, another article to write before I arrive at Harrogate in November 17th I feel sure the book will also feature in here at some point.
I have an evening Demonstration planned at Bury St Edmunds Nov 14th.
The woodturning club meet at D.J Evans. If you are in the area come along.

Spare time has been a rare commodity this year and something to be relished by doing something special as it is my 50th.
Well last weekend I attended a Three day Painting and Drawing Life course at West Norfolk Arts Centre, with artist Tony Paul from Dorset. This was great as it gave me time to get away and relax, although this was only a brief break. Monday morning it was straight back to work as the first layouts for the book arrived as I was about to leave.
Below is one of my Charcoal drawings that I produced over the three days. This is something I have always wanted to do and this year I feel I managed to achieve my ambition but it is something I would like to do more regularly as it is such fun to create the image you are looking at on paper to capture that moment in time , It was a great escape form the pressure I am currently under for a few days.

I cant wait to do some more iti s such great fun!!!

I will update again soon dealines permitting.

Summer Update and deadlines.

Well its been a while, I have just returned from Dublin where I judged the Woodturning section for RDS anual craft competition,I am still very busy writting articles doing production spindle turning for clients, demonstratiing at woodturning clubs, then there is the two symposiums to get ready for in August which is getting ever closer, and then there is the main event that is occuping allmost all of my time right now.
In March I started to write a book about woodturning and I am getting towards the end of this project now, only a few more sections to do then I can concentrate on some new work for the symposiums in August.
There are many new ideas in my sketch book/head and I cant wait to start work on them, so its more of the same for the next couple of months. but Hey Ho!
Write a book in three months I must be insane but it does create a controlled routine to meet the tight deadlines!!
When I start work I will try to post some images of the new work in a few weeks.

Deadlines.

Its Sunday evening and I am currently relaxing, but I am also very busy and will be for the foreseeable future I am working towards one of my busiest years and have agreed to some pretty tight deadlines. The first was last last Tuesday then Friday and the next is on Monday night after that it is at the end of the month and I still have to produce another article check pdf files, as well as prep for two demos in the middle of the month so time for posts is going to be very short for quite a while. I will try to post when I get time but it may not be regular.