I’ve updated my website with lots of new photos of all the pieces in the Dewdrop jewellery range as well as edited about me and exhibition sections.
Have a look here: www.craigmacauley.co.uk
I will be exhibiting in the new One Year On section of The Contemporary Craft Festival at Bovey Tracey next month. The festival was founded in 2003 and has become one of the most prestigious and highly acclaimed craft events in the UK.
I’m really looking forward to taking part in this event, everyone I have spoken to has said it’s a really fun show to do. Big to do list however with jewellery pieces to make, stall layout to prepare and planing the logistics of getting my work and myself from Yorkshire to Devon.
You can see all 165 makers including the 19 One Year On exhibitors here.
Promotional booklet that Lesley Craze Gallery was giving out at Collect, featuring one of my brooches.
The neckpiece on the front cover is by Emmeline Hastings. Emmeline is a sculptor, jeweller and a gallery assistant at Lesley Craze. She spotted my work at New Designers last year and recommended me to Lesley.
Last Saturday (12th May) I made a day trip down to London to visit Collect 2012 at the Saatchi Gallery. Organised by the Crafts Council Collect is the leading contemporary craft fair, 31 of the world’s finest galleries represent museum quality work from their portfolio of artists.
This was my first ever visit to Collect and it was amazing. I spent over four hours looking around (and chatting a fair bit) which I think is a record time spent in one exhibition for me. The standard of the work on display, in both ideas and the skill involved in making was on another level to anything I’ve seen before.
I had a chance to catch up with some friends who were also visiting, fellow jewellery artists Jane Dzisiewski, Deborah Forrest and Stephanie Hamer. I also got some much appreciated free business advice over a drink with Ann-Marie, Angela and Leanne who organise the fantastic Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.
(top) Collect poster featuring a stoneware with oxblood glaze Double-walled Vessel by Thomas Bohle (Sarah Myerscough Fine Art). I spotted copies of this poster in all the tube stations I went through on Saturday.
(mid left) Nahoko Kojima’s amazingly detailed papercut tiger in the Project Space.
(mid right) Stunning Giovanni Corvaja jewellery (Clare Beck at Adrian Sassoon).
(bottom left) Nora Fok neckpiece (Lesley Craze Gallery). As a jewellery artist working in nylon Nora Fok has been a big inspiration in my own career.
(bottom right) Yoshiro Kimura ceramics (Yufuku Gallery). Incredible depth of blue in the glaze.
Other highlights (that I don’t have my own photos of) include Nel Linssen’s (Galerie Ra) paper jewellery, Rebbecca Gouldson’s (Bluecoat Display Centre) etched metal wall pieces, Matthew Chambers (CAA) layered ceramics and Karola Torkos (Galerie Marzee & Lesley Craze). My two favourite galleries were both Dutch jewellery galleries, Galerie Ra and Galerie Rob Koudijs.
You can see lots more photos of the fair on the Crafts Council’s Pinterest page here.
Saltaire Arts Trail Makers Fair 2012
This past bank holiday weekend I took part in my very first craft fair, the Saltaire Arts Trail Makers Fair.
I went into the weekend trying to keep my expectations low as it was my first ever fair but I had an enjoyable very busy weekend with good sales and made the cost of my stand back on the first day.
Lots of people made very nice comments about the work mainly along the lines of how distinctive it is and how they’d never seen anything like it before. Most people also asked how its made and what its made from.
The main thing I found is that it’s surprisingly tiring having to smile, be polite and explain your work to whoever comes along for seven hours a day for three days in a row.
I got to meet in person and have a chat with fellow recently graduated jewellers Stephanie Hamer and Christine Davies. Like me they are also both taking part in next months Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey.
Special thanks to neighbouring stallholders Amanda of The Earring Cafe and Amanda of Trefall Design for keeping me company. Also Alexia of Alexia Claire for lifts to and from Leeds.
Dewdrop necklaces with silver bayonet clasp. Clear, clear on black and purple on black.
Dewdrop necklaces with silver bayonet clasp. Transparent red, yellow and green colour resin.
Dewdrop necklace with silver bayonet clasp. Black, white and ivory colour resin.
Dewdrop necklaces with silver bayonet clasp. Various opaque colours.
