Friday morning i took the national express to london for one of my monthly workshops, i took this photo of some graffiti on my way down gloucester rd to the coach station. This kind of artwork never fails to impress me, i keep meaning to post some other photos i've taken of my favourite graffiti. I must admit i find legal "graffiti" a bit sickening, and hope this man crept about with a bit of adrenaline flowing through him whilst the noxious fumes from the spray can entered his lungs. The attraction for me is the underlying passion/obsession and focus to manifest a concise image, one that might catch someone's eye like mine (more on this another time).
I run the workshops in the heart of the East End of London right behind Mile End tube station, there is much poverty in this area which is overlooked by Canary Wharf.
Tower Hamlets has a fantastic Park resource it's 30 acres of woodland with wild flower meadow is notorious for it's huge biodiversity, it is amazing to see the trees reclaim the earth from the gravestones of the old Bow Cemetery. I have the run of the Soanes Centre for the weekend, this has kitchen and toilet facilities with a classroom and a covered open air space outside, i also source all my materials (for the course) from the park too.
I was introduced to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park by Paul Wylde who set up Grounded Ecotherapy with Kelvin Barton, they work with a group formed mostly of volunteers who regularly do conservation work in the park. I got involved with these guys after meeting up with Paul in London, Paul is a brilliant and hilarious man and i very much enjoy spending time with him, but i also passionately believe in the work he and his team are trying to do, i have spent quite a lot of time passing on skills from hafting axe heads and spoon carving to fire by friction. This Monday after running my weekend workshops i was to firm up some foundations they have in Pole lathe turning, getting them to cut a pole and set it up to churn out some treen. It's empowering to be able to make the machines you use!
I'm very grateful to the group for always making me so welcome in London, i consider it a privelige to work with such a lovely group of people.
Sorry i've got no photos of the actual course i'm too busy working! (i promise i will next time) But i'm sure you get the general idea, axes, axe blocks, wood, knives, spoons and lots of wood shavings.
I run the workshops in the heart of the East End of London right behind Mile End tube station, there is much poverty in this area which is overlooked by Canary Wharf.
Tower Hamlets has a fantastic Park resource it's 30 acres of woodland with wild flower meadow is notorious for it's huge biodiversity, it is amazing to see the trees reclaim the earth from the gravestones of the old Bow Cemetery. I have the run of the Soanes Centre for the weekend, this has kitchen and toilet facilities with a classroom and a covered open air space outside, i also source all my materials (for the course) from the park too.
I was introduced to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park by Paul Wylde who set up Grounded Ecotherapy with Kelvin Barton, they work with a group formed mostly of volunteers who regularly do conservation work in the park. I got involved with these guys after meeting up with Paul in London, Paul is a brilliant and hilarious man and i very much enjoy spending time with him, but i also passionately believe in the work he and his team are trying to do, i have spent quite a lot of time passing on skills from hafting axe heads and spoon carving to fire by friction. This Monday after running my weekend workshops i was to firm up some foundations they have in Pole lathe turning, getting them to cut a pole and set it up to churn out some treen. It's empowering to be able to make the machines you use!
I'm very grateful to the group for always making me so welcome in London, i consider it a privelige to work with such a lovely group of people.
Sorry i've got no photos of the actual course i'm too busy working! (i promise i will next time) But i'm sure you get the general idea, axes, axe blocks, wood, knives, spoons and lots of wood shavings.
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