Still being influenced by the Mary Greg Chatelaine.

I feel a little odd adding to this as it feels like the site has been moth balled.. But I continue to create new attachments for my Chatelaine. I feel the Mary Greg project is still waiting for something to happen…we can’t have done all this for no “ending”

The new “Emergency Joke Capsule” is fourth along, I have included two other test ideas either side. The first two objects are from my own collection and have influenced the final design.

The second new set of work I have made are a little more complicated. Again influenced by objects from my own collection. These are for collecting the card discs from party poppers…mementos of celebrations.

Photo of an Unknown Lady

I have spent most of the summer away and have rather neglected the Mary Greg project. But to my credit I have always  had it  at the back of my mind. I found this photo on a market stall in Rozelles, Sydney Australia. It was actually taken by P.L.Reid Photographic Artist, London Portrait Gallery, St John Street, Launceston. I imagine it was posted to the lady’s relatives overseas. The reason I chose it is the chain she is wearing which has an object hanging from it..I have since found a number of similar photographs with ladies wearing chains with attachments…I am hoping they are a mini chatelaines..a little useful tool close by and ready to use. I can see some are decorative, but this one looks more solid.

I am still working on the chatelaine of useless (or nearly useless) tools.

Hazel

Engage Creative Workshop – 21st Century Chatelaine

I delivered a Mary, Mary themed creative workshop for Engage, National Association for Gallery Education, recently.  The stimulating one-day seminar was part of their Professional Development series: Craft, Makers and Making.  Ian Middleton, Ofsted HMI and Specialist Advisor for Art, Craft and Design provided a fantastic overview of current education policy and set the context for the days discussions.  His report “Drawing Together: Art, Craft and Design in Schools” contains some thought-provoking insights into the way the subject is being taught (or not) in schools today.  Essential reading for anyone involved with Craft education whatever the level of delivery.  Other presentations from Stuart Shotton of Craftspace and Katy Bevan from the Crafts Council highlighted some of the great work they are doing to engage young people in the crafts and making, ensuring the subjects’ continued relevance in an ever-changing and increasingly digital world.

My session encouraged seminar participants to engage in some creative activity around the Mary Greg project.  Liz gave an enthusiastic introduction using the display in the Object Memories Showcase, in the Craft and Design Gallery and whetted everyone’s appetite for the session.  The Mary Greg chatelaine was used as a starting point for creative response.

The Mary Greg Chatelaine

A chatelaine is a nineteenth century  item, usually worn by a housekeeper, a wearable ‘tool kit’ containing all sorts of useful objects necessary for going about her everyday business.  Hung from a loop usually attached at the waistband it allowed the wearer easy access to things like scissors, thimbles, needles, notebooks, pens etc.   Workshop participants were asked to choose an everyday object that they had on their person.  Starting with individual questioning, drawing and making, small groups then collaborated to create a ’21st Century Chatelaine’, a contemporary homage not only to the Greg chatelaine but also the objects we use and take for granted on a daily basis.  During the practical activity I tried to unravel, what to me are, the fundamental aspects of craft and making, picking out the key elements and transferable skills embedded in a hands on approach to creative thinking. Some examples follow (sorry I can’t show everything).

Ink Drawing - Pens

Ink Drawing - Vaseline

Ink Drawing - I Phone

Wire working, discussion and decision making

Collaboration and assembly

One of the completed 21st Century Chatelaines

Detail - phone

Detail - Spectacles

Not bad for an hours work I think!  …And I was ‘Ofsteded’ into the bargain (I hope I passed!).

I have added links to some key websites below for those who want to find out more.

Engage – www.engage.org

Ofsted – www.ofsted.gov.uk

Crafts Council – www.craftscouncil.org.uk

Craftspace – www.craftspace.co.uk

Thanks to all participants.  Sharon

Day One, Week One

I’m fortunate to be able to spend a bit more time in the workshop over the next few weeks thanks to some funding from the Craft Research Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University to release me from some of my teaching.  This should enable me to move my ideas on and develop my creative responses to the project.  So I thought I’d show you what I have been working on today (once I tidied up a bit and cleared the spiders out of the sink!).  Watch out for more over the coming weeks.  Sharon

Day always starts with removing a spider from the sink!

making tests for 'Witness Marks'

Trying out oval bowls for value measuring spoons

Modelling another version of 'Mary's Chatelaine'

Mary out in the world.

This might seem a little trivial but I thought of Mary yesterday whilst shopping. I saw a necklace with lots of miss- matched keys as pendants. One even says Hope on the side of it. Something about it reminded me of her chatelaines too. I wonder what she’d think of her collection used as bling!  

Melanie

More work in progress

Pondering on folding tools

There are some lovely penknives in the Bygones collection too, they seem to be an essential piece of a chatelaine. Another way to pass the time on the train has been wondering what other types of folding tools I could make for my 21st century chatelaine. Some ideas that came to me were:- testing the gaps on custard creams, tiny brushes for small crumb piles,string gauges, crevice scrapers, loose thread snipers, button checkers… I made a test folding tool last week, it needs a lot more work and I I should make some card ones next to work out the mechanism.

Notes from a train notebook.

Hazel

JONES

Jones

Sharon found the chatelaine in the Platt Hall collection and insisted I went back to see it. She was so right, I usually make work that sits on a mantle piece or in a box on the wall. I have been considering for a while making objects to carry and wear (but not jewellery) and chatelaines are the perfect example of how I had already been thinking.

It was good to find a well made piece of silver stamped with the name Jones. I usually stamp all my work with the A1 Scrap Metal name..but from now on Jones will be stamped somewhere upon the objects I make.

Hazel Jones.

Chatelaine

Chatelaine

I thought it was about time I started recording the projects I am doing based on the bygones collection. The first, and most important to me, is based around the chatelaine. practical objects, attached by a short chain to a womans belt. Pins,thimbles,pencil and notebook. I especially like this one in the collection as it is so simple, one that looks like is was used. I have already made pencil holders (before seeing this one), string holders and am now making a list roll (based on the roll of paper in a tube we found recently), also folding tools, quick repair kits and damage indicators.

Hazel

Chatelaine

From Mary Gregs Bygones Collection.

Pin wheel from Mary Greg’s Chatelaine

pencil holders

This is one of the most uncanny things so far… Mary’s chatelaine which has a holder for pencil stubs – just like ones that Hazel made before seeing Mary Greg’s version – and only 80 years later. I think Hazel IS Mary Greg!