Discover the joy of working with copper whilst producing creative items using a range of techniques from traditional hollowing and planishing to fold forming.
Copper Bashing for Beginners is a skills based 1-day course introducing students to the basic operations for working with copper through a couple of projects (copper dish with a silver soldered ring as a base and samples of fold forming techniques). This is an intense course over a day with very little spare time but students are encouraged to come with a simple project idea to use the newly learnt skills, time allowing.
Bedales are delighted to announce the launch of the Traditional Heritage Craft Week, which in 2024 will run from 8-12 July 2024. During this week we will be offering three courses for adults: Blacksmithing and Garden Sculpture Willow Weaving and Basketry Oak Timber Framing Over the five days you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a heritage craft and learn from expert tutors. Each course will run in and around the beautiful timber framed barnyard of the Bedales Outdoor Work department. Catering and all materials are included in the price.
Venue
Bedales School, Church Road, Steep, Petersfield, GU32 2DG
Hello and welcome to our third newsletter from the forge. You have received this newsletter because at some point I thought you may be interested but as ever if you don’t want to receive these emails you can absolutely unsubscribe (down at the bottom)… but I hope you stay!
In brief the newsletter has information about Christmas opening, our 1 day January sale, the new galleries that we can be found in and our hopes for 2023!
Care and Love – Glass by Elisa Mott
WEDNESDAY 21st DEC – Last Minute Forge opening for Christmas
The forge is open for last minute Christmas Shopping on the 21st December from 1 – 7pm. Elisa the glass artist will be with me so pop in and say hello.
Little Duck Forge, 199 Henderson Road, Southsea, PO4 9 JQ
Squiggle Frames are not just for Christmas
Wreath making seems to be more popular than ever this year and Squiggle Frames make a great base for a Christmas Wreath. They are also great for use through the year to display finds and create your own wall sculpture.
Sqiggle Frame Christmas Wreath
For those of you who have escaped seeing one yet, squiggle frames are wall hanging wreaths hand forged in mild steel and finished with oil and wax. They are a great base for making all sorts of things decorative. I originally designed them as a base for Christmas wreaths but soon discovered that the shape was so pleasing it could be used all round the year as a base for different crafts. Seaside/Coastal Wreaths being very popular.
For inspiration and to share what you have done seek ‘Sqiggle Frames by The friends of Little Duck Forge’ Facebook Page here
New Exhibitions
The Salt Marsh Gallery
In November we delivered outdoor garden sculptures to The Salt Marsh Gallery in Lymington. The gallery is delightful and offers a mix of art, ceramics, sculpture, jewellery, gifts & pieces for the home and garden.
We are also delighted to be involved in a relatively new venture based in Bognor and Chichester. The Craft Cabin Chichester is based in the compound of Manor Nursery Garden Centre. We have a range our sculptures on display in the Craft Cabin Chichester garden and I can be found helping out once a month, I will be there 27th January 2023 if you happen to be passing.
After the great success of our completely under advertised January sale last year Elisa and I will be joining forces again and running a mega January sale in the forge on Saturday 14th January from 11am – 4pm. As anyone who knows me or may have found in the past, I do not do discounts but we have been looking at our stocks and decided it is time to part with some old friends at bargain rates. There will be interesting items such as prototype designs and creations which whilst not making it to mainline products may be something that your life or garden have been seeking. There will also be a stash of pieces that we started and never finished that may catch your attention.
January Sale
Saturday 14th January, 11am – 4pm
Eastney Beam Engine House, Southsea PO4 9JF
New for 2023
2023 will see our first year doing a trade show, we have exhibited in a few galleries over the years but as I was generally working on my own I found it difficult to supply them. Since early 2021 we became a team of 3, the wonderful welder Graham and the able apprentice Martyna joined me in the forge. Initially it was just a couple of days a week but in the last year they increased their hours and I have increased their training. I will add more in future newsletters about their training and blacksmiths opportunities but for today here we are on our Christmas outing in the new yellow van…..
Lucille, Martyna (the apprentice) and Graham (the Welder) Christmas 2022
Provisional Event Dates for 2023
2023 dates to be confirmed please check for later updates
17 – 29 Jan – Hilliers exhibition with Hampshire Artists Cooperative
24-26 – Artisan Made – Trade show
21 – 23 April – Firle Place Garden Show
27 April – 1 May – Contemporary Craft Fair, RHS Garden Wisley
18-21 May – Contemporary Craft Fair, Hever Castle
27 May – 10 June – Art in the Garden – North Boarhunt
9 – 11 June – Stansted Garden Show
15 – 16 July – Hand made Fair – Sussex Prarie Gardens
7-10 September – Contemporary Craft Fair, Hever Castle
The Forge has just delivered garden sculptures to The Salt Marsh Gallery in Lymington. This inspiring art gallery – offers a mix of art, ceramics, sculpture, jewellery, gifts & pieces for the home and garden.
Promo film created for local Blacksmith in Portsmouth called Little Duck Forge through Island City Stories. Director: Callum Woods Producer & Editor: Matthew Campbell Camera Op: Brooks Warner-James Sound Recordist: Ryan Palmer
Island City Stories is a collaborative project between students and staff in The Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) at The University of Portsmouth and local independent businesses and community groups in Portsmouth. BA TV & Film Production students were paired up with independent businesses to tell their stories through film. With thanks to Dan Pease from BA Illustration for the logo design. www.islandcitystories.co.uk
Whilst sat in a band practice one day I was watching the conductor beating time, I suddenly realised the beauty of the form scribed in the air by his batton ….4/4 or Common Time was born. I chose to put a stave through the form to give it balance and a hint at the subject.
Over twenty local artists responded to a challenge by local author Matt Wingett to make new work inspired by his novel The Snow Witch novel in some form or other.
Funded by Arts Council England and generously supported by Cascades Shopping Centre the exhibition presented a range of work in a number of mediums. It was open daily for three weeks and saw over 1500 people visit the gallery during this time.
Curator Lucille Scott, Blacksmith and owner of Little Duck Forge explained that the idea came up in conversation with Matt over a year before in 2018. Originally the exhibition was to be a collaboration between Lucille and Matt, the wordsmith versus the blacksmith. Over the following year, the idea grew into a scheme for the exhibition which opened October 21st 2020.
The work of other artists taking part can be seen at the exhibition website here
Inspired by dance and the movement of fabric plus the freshness of a line and wash sketch I have endeavored to create a 3D ‘sketch’ of a flamenco dancer. The lines are incomplete as if quickly sketched and a hint of colour has been added using glass panels. It isn’t fully ‘coloured’ in the same way a sketch wouldn’t be.
I have done a series of studies of Flamenso dancing which I love as it is full of spirit and attitude. The pieces range from copper panels of flamenco hands to the 3D life size sculpture.
In the garden with the first pieces of glass added.Her first outing at Stansted Garden Show
Jess Mcintosh As part of my final year project for university I created a series of short documentaries centering around the people of Portsmouth to highlight the individuals within the city.
I was pleased to be filmed as part of the project and thrilled to learn that Jess received a 1st as a result of her efforts.
A Little Bit of What You Fancy : Little Duck Forge and Guests
Dates: 12 April 2019 to 17 April 2019 Times: Friday to Tuesday: 9am to 6pm; Wednesday: 8.30am to noon
Special viewing Friday Evening 7 – 9pm
Lucille Scott of Little Duck Forge will be exhibiting a collection of work from hand forged steel and copper sculptures to stunning paintings by guest artists. Lucille loves colour but does not like to paint her work so she works in collaboration with ceramicist Jan Griffiths and a number of glass artists chosen specifically for their styles to complement the various design. To fill the walls of the Pie Factory with colour a number of forge friends will be contributing work to the exhibition.
