Friday Folks – Kiera Buckley-Jones

three vintage Welsh wool blankets hanging from the wooden handrail of a humpback bridge

If we hadn’t started H is for Home, I (Adelle) would have loved to be an interiors stylist on a glossy homes magazine. This week’s Friday Folks interviewee, Kiera Buckley-Jones, is actually living (and working) that dream! We’ve known Kiera since the really early days of H is for Home and she regularly features our wares in her photo shoots. We were glad of this opportunity to find out a bit more about her working life.

Who are you & what do you do?
I’m Kiera Buckley-Jones and I’m the in-house stylist at Homes & Antiques magazine. This involves organising photo shoots, producing shopping pages and coming up with ideas of how to show antique and vintage collectables at their best.

How did you get into the business?
I started by doing work experience at various homes magazines in London, which was a great opportunity to get some hands-on shoot experience. Through these placements I met a number of stylists who I then assisted over the years, learning on the job. When the opportunity came up at Homes & Antiques, it really was a dream position as I’ve always loved going to jumble sales, collecting and history; and now I get to combine all these interests in each feature/project I work on.

Who or what inspires you?
Old magazines and films are great reference tools. I’m also inspired by collectors (and I meet a lot of these), people who are passionate, knowledgeable and have dedicated their lives to their subject.

_{selection of Mdina Glass from the current (March 2012) issue of the Homes & Antiques magazine}

What has been your greatest success?
It was tremendous fun working on the Hemingways’ Museum of 51 last summer at the Southbank. I was given the task of creating a Homes & Antiques 1950s living room to reflect the design of the period. I begun my research by looking at old footage of the Festival of Britain site at the Southbank and reading home improvement magazines of the early fifties. The room needed to reflect the optimism of the period, the colour and the sense of the ‘new’.

Have you got any advice for someone wanting to break into the business?
Get as much experience as you can, as you never know when it will come in handy. Not only will this help you develop your skills, you’ll also meet lots of contacts along the way.

Friday Folks – Pilgrim Lee

In this Friday Folks post we introduce Pilgrim Lee (aka Draw! Pilgrim). We’ve admired Pilgrim’s work for a long while – she shares our love of bold, bright colours and design from the 60s & 70s. She’s a very busy lady – blogger, designer, maker, seller, traveller, mother… where does she find the time?!

Who are you & what do you do?
I’m Pilgrim Lee, owner of Draw! Pilgrim and I’m a graphic designer and illustrator from Melbourne, Australia.

How did you get into the business?
While I was in high school I worked for my mum’s graphic design business. Following high school and a couple of years abroad I studied visual communication and shortly after, I started Draw! Pilgrim as a home-based business while I cared for my baby son.

Who or what inspires you?
All kinds of things inspire me, but most of those things are colorful, wild design from the 60s and 70s: Verner Panton, Hans Edelman, Milton Glaser etc.

What has been your greatest success?
I’m very proud of how my business has grown over the last couple of years, and I would never have believed some of the great publicity I’ve received in that time: inclusion in the Print & Pattern 2 book, magazine and newspaper features, and coverage on some really huge blogs!

Have you got any advice for someone wanting to break into the business?
Be well prepared. Consider your various strategies and policies. Move at a pace you are comfortable with – even if it’s slower than you think it should be. Being comfortable to take each next step is a guarantee of your work being good quality. Be confident! You can do it!

Friday Folks – Jane Blease

This week, Friday Folks features Manchester-based designer maker, Jane Blease.

We first encountered Jane in October 2010, when she exhibited at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair. Her stand really caught our eye and we highlighted her work in the blog we posted about the event. Six months on, she’s going from strength to strength!

Who are you & what do you do?
My name is Jane and I set up my business, Jane Blease Design in 2008. I design & make lighting and homewares which I sell from my shop, my online site www.janebleasedesign.co.uk and from numerous galleries and boutiques in the UK.

I strive to use my materials in both efficient and imaginative ways. In my current collection, I intricately embroider wood veneer using a selection of vibrantly coloured threads to create bespoke lampshades, framed artwork, jewellery and accessories. I came up with the unique & unusual technique in 2009, initially woodburning the holes by hand, which created a very rustic effect. For precision, I now laser cut the elaborate patterns, this allows me to create much more intricate designs which I then finish with spirals of threadwork.

I use mainly wood to create my products but I also use recycled plastics and vintage, imitation tortoiseshell. It was produced in the 60s & 70s, specifically for making glasses frames. It is one of the earliest plastics ever made, which I have re-claimed, re-formed, lovingly restored and transformed into beautiful lampshades.

How did you get into the business?
After graduating from my 3D Design course at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006, I was one of 8 artists who gained a place on the Design Initiative 2006-08 Setting Up Scheme, which provided a comprehensive business development programme. This allowed me to transform my product ideas into a functioning business. I now have a shop/studio in the Manchester Craft and Design Centre.

Who or what inspires you?
Being based in the Northern Quarter, one of the most diverse and up-and coming areas of Manchester, I am surrounded by inspiration on a daily basis. I also love going for walks in the countryside and take inspiration from the natural world. All of my work is organic, either in form, pattern or materials used.

I love seeing what the craft world is up to so I visit exhibitions up and down the country on a regular basis. This also helps me to decide on the right places to show my work. Plus, the internet is an amazing resource these days, there are so many great craft and design blogs.

I’ve got an exciting adventure coming up this year! I’ve been handpicked by the renowned industrialist and heritage conservationist Abhay Mangaldas to take part in an artists residency in India this summer. For six weeks I’ll will be working alongside the local crafts people of Ahmedabad to develop products for the modern market. I will be combining their more traditional skills with my modern approach to design.

My existing product range should evolve beautifully by taking inspiration from some of the local skills. India’s culture and scenery will inspire me immensely I’m sure.

What has been your greatest success?
After two years of hard work, my business is going from strength to strength. In Summer 2010, I was chosen by executives at Manchester Airport to create 22 pieces of framed artwork for the Escape Lounge in Terminal 1. The embroidered artwork covers three, 4-metre walls and is the focal point of the contemporary ‘snug’ area. This was my biggest and most prestigious commission so far.

In April this year, I took part in the British Craft Trade Fair, and was delighted to receive The Bluefin Insurance Award for Excellence. It was my first trade show and I was overwhelmed by the response to my work. There was a definite buzz around my stand with attendees commenting on the uniqueness of my products. I had a fantastic show, I took lots of orders and I have got some great exhibitions lined up as a result, Similar Threads or Edau Tebyg at the stunning Oriel Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno next month, MADE at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park Nov-Feb and a few others later in the year too. I am extremely proud of my achievements and feel like it is the beginning of a great future for my business!

Have you got any advice for someone wanting to break into the business?
Make the most of all the opportunities that come your way! It takes a few years for businesses to establish themselves so you will need patience (and a part-time job), but if you think you have a niche then go for it. Also, in terms of your work, there are no mistakes when it comes to design. I always say that the best ideas come through experimentation, so don’t be afraid to just have a play.

To see more of Jane’s work, please visit www.janebleasedesign.co.uk

Friday Folks – Kevin James Graham

This edition of Friday Folks features Kevin Graham. We came across him online a few years ago when we were trying to find more details about some of the ceramic items that we’d been accumulating for our shop. Kevin is one of the founding members & admins of the online Pottery and Glass Forum – a group full of very friendly & extremely knowledgeable people from all around the world. You can also find him endeavouring to spread the Fat Lava love around the virtual world via Twitter and Flickr

Who are you & what do you do?
I am Kevin James Graham. I am a researcher & Author on factual books on West/East German pottery. To date I have written Spritzdecor to Fat Lava (hardback), and West & East German Pottery Marks & Form Numbers (hardback). Both limited edition books which came out in July 2009 with only 250 copies of each.

Since the publication of these two hardcover books, I switched to CD as a medium and introduced Spritzdecor to Fat Lava Book/CD and West & East German Pottery, Marks & Form numbers Volume II (which contained over 3500 more numbers than the original book). These came out in January 2010.

In November 2010 I released Spritzdecor to Fat Lava II on CD which contained 32 more companies than the original hardback book & CD, and an additional number of designer profiles bringing the total to 48. At the same time, I released the greatly updated West & East German Pottery, Marks, Form Numbers & Decors Volume III which contained over 2800 new form numbers, including a huge section on Art Deco, with the aid of Volker Hornbostel, a collector of pieces from this period. In addition, a new Decors section was added, with pictures of the known decors of Alka Kunst, Bay Keramik, Bückeberg, Carstens Tönnieshof, Ceramano, Conradt (Gebruder), Cortendorf, Dümler & Breiden, Eiwa, ES-Keramik, Fohr Keramik, Ilkra Keramik, Jasba, Jopeko, Keto, Kupfermuhle Keramik (KMK), Marzi & Remy, Ruscha, Scheurich, Schlossberg, Schramberg (SMF), Stutzel Sachs Wächtersbach, etc.

Other additions to this CD included studio marks & porcelain marks sections. This CD covers the period 1900 to 2000, for form numbers. Also inside this CD is information on who designed the famous Hearts motif pieces for Wächtersbach and when.

Also within is the answer to the 5 WGP companies that had LAVA as a known decor. Of course, the work on both the form numbers & decors is ongoing as, since publishing this extensive CD, I have found new catalogues from Carstens Tönnieshof, Ceramano Fohr, Marzi & Remy, Ruscha, Roth & Ü-Keramik – so next year, a Volume/Edition 4 will be issued.

Other publications that I will launch this year are a Ceramano bookalogue to be released for the More Than Fat Lava Mid Century & Modern German Ceramics Exhibition happening in Amsterdam from 18 June 2011 in conjunction with Emiel Monnink from Retrominded. This exhibition will be opened by my friend Mark Hill.

Bauhaus Generated (German Atelier/Töpferei/Studio Pottery) 1920s to 2000 which contains the profiles of leading potters – who trained them, start date, marks etc with over 300 colour photographs. Over 700 potters are identified in this publication.

Studio potters include Antal (Bandi), Heiner (Balzar), Bampi (Richard), Bisang (Liselot) Bomblies (Eva), Bontjes van Beek (Jan), Böttger (Inge), Brügemman (Antje), Busz (Ralf), Crumbiegel (Dieter), Claussen (Michael), Doss (Antje & Rainer), Dudas (Laszlo), Eggemann (Hildegard), Frey (Harro), Gerhards (Walter), Gramman (Siegfrid), Harney (Else), Heuckeroth (Gerda), Hillers (Ulfert), Hohlt (Albrecht & Georg), Hudler (Friedrich), Kagel (Wilhelm), Kerstan (Horst), Kiessling (Albert). Klopfer (Lu), Kuch (Wilhelm & Elly), Kuhn (Beate), Kummer (Thomas), Lang (Anton) Laeuger (Max), Langelot (IB), Liebenthron (Gerhard), Lindig (Otto), Loesche (Ernst), Maetzel (Monica), Meier (Otto), Mühlendyck (Wim), Piesche (Anton), Schäffenacker (Helmut), Scheid (Ursula & Karl), Stahl (Rudi), Stahl (Wendelin), Stehr (Barbara), Uhlemeyer (Richard), Unterstab (Kerstin, Gudrun & Ralf), Weber (Rolf), Wichmann (Otto). The foreword to this publication will be written by Mark Hill.

How did you get into the business?
By accident! In 2001 I found a Fat Lava Bay Keramik piece in a charity shop in Chard, Somerset – I started to collect later. In 2004, after meeting my wife Esther, I moved to North Germany. I found a treasure trove of West & East German pottery. My collection, which up to that point was only 200 pieces, grew rapidly. However, very little was known then about this pottery. I started to catalogue the form numbers and after several discussions with my friend in the USA, Forrest Poston, I decided to write a book. Research on Spritzdecor to Fat Lava & West & East German Pottery Marks & Form Numbers started in 2004. The only book available at that time was 50er Jahre Keramik by Dr Horst Makus, only in German, and didn’t cover most of the items I was interested in. In 2006, a new book came out (only in German), by Dr Michael Thomas entitled Deusche Keramik und Porzellan der 60er und 70er Jahre, which is an excellent book. I still collect today, my WGP/EGP pieces have exceeded 21,000. I know it sounds a lot, but Michael Thomas has nearly 10,000 more!

Who or what inspires you?
This is a difficult one, I have several people who inspire me to write more, these include Mark Hill, Michael Thomas, Cari Zalloni, Stuart Brownrigg, Stuart Gunning, Emiel Monnink to name a few.

What has been your greatest success?
Again, difficult to think of just one thing. Work wise, writing the two original books which actually started life as a single book, but the printer I used was unable to bind such a large book so it became two.

Have you got any advice for someone wanting to break into the business?
Hmmmmm… make sure your workplace is quiet, has no telephone, make sure you back up your data – every day and make sure your research is sound. I don’t think of writing my books as a business, more of a quest to catalogue the history of WGP. I certainly have not made any money on them, so far, and I know I am not alone. Also, make sure you have a lot of cash in the bank as printing books is expensive!

H is for Home Harbinger

Category: friday folks

Friday Folks – Kiera Buckley-Jones

Friday Folks – Pilgrim Lee

Friday Folks – Jane Blease

Friday Folks – Kevin James Graham