newemberdesigns
- Jan 22, 2023
- 2 min read

Green Maker!

A CREative dedicated to her environment

As an artist and designer maker I not only want to make beautiful pieces of art but also help reduce my impact on the environment.

I am a woodburning artist working from my small studio/workshop, okay I confess I took over the garden shed. I create a variety of products using the pyrography technique combined with engraving to produce my designs to the highest standard. I am self-taught in these techniques and has taken me a couple of years to master them, although I do believe you never stop learning and improving.

I have a sustainable bamboo range but the area I really want to extend and excel in is my handcrafted range where I create bespoke and functional one-off pieces from native hardwood. This may be buying offcuts from an incredible oak timber construction company - Carpenter Oak near where I live or milling a storm fallen oak from a local farmer. Other sources include several carpenters or a boat builder who save up their discards for me to use. I have nothing but admiration for these highly crafted tradesmen and love the fact I am able to use the bits they don't want.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

I dont aim for perfection!

Either way it is saving all this wood from the log pile and preventing me from having to buy wood that has been purposely milled for woodworking.

After a lot of planing, routering and sanding, and more sanding I love the fact I can give gnarly blackened discarded wood a second chance a turn that into some collectible to be loved.

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A GREEN MAKER!

Last year I came across the Green Maker Initiative on Instagram coordinated by the wonderful craft education organisation Make Southwest and Plymouth University. I immediately decided that I wanted to make a difference within my little company and signed the pledge to improve my commitment to sustainability and the environment. I have just submitted my annual report and am pleased to say I am making progress.

Moving my business in this direction to encompassing the handcrafted element by using locally sourced, native, and recycled wood. I am reinvesting every penny I can to buy tools and equipment to turn these wood pieces into something useable and beautiful for me to create my artwork on. Alongside this utilising packaging and kept my fuel consumption down. These three elements are areas I will continue to improve on year after year and love the fact GMI membership holds me accountable.

How It's Done!

Each piece speaks to me in its raw unrefined state giving me inspiration for the function and design that would perfectly fit that particular piece.

I like to think that I can give you a back story on each handcrafted piece telling where it's come from and why I was able to transform it into either a doorstop, platter, candle holder or wall hanging

BROWSE