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Wild Swimming with Flora Jamieson

Author of THE most beautiful book Wild Swimming, Flora Jamieson is a contemporary stained glass window designer

Specialising in the reproduction of Victorian Bird Roundels, Flora Jamieson ordinarily works in the wonderful world of glass. Designing from her beautiful studio in Dorset, she restores, reproduces and creates her own contemporary designs - whilst remaining faithful to traditional techniques.

I chatted with Flora about how it came she deviated from her normal creations to designing the most wonderful pocket sized guide to Wild Swimming...

 Let’s start at the beginning – you work with Stained Glass usually - can you tell me who you are (for anyone that doesn’t know) and how would you describe your work?
Hello! I’m a stained glass artist based in Dorset. I make contemporary stained glass windows to commission, and I also restore and reproduce period stained glass. My own designs are inspired by the natural world: flora, fauna and the landscape around us; children’s book illustrations; 1960/70’s graphic design; wallpaper and fabric patterns.

Tell me about your journey into the creative industry – was it an easy one and is it something you’ve always wanted to do?
No it wasn't really something that was easy. I took art up to A-level, but didn’t pursue it further, and for a long time I regretted that. After university I moved to London and fell into a job as a studio administrator. Although I was working in really creative environments (firstly a design studio, followed by a photographic studio), the job I was doing was not creative at all, and I really missed working with my hands. In the end I decided to take an evening class to learn a craft or skill, and came across stained glass. I remembered visiting Salisbury Cathedral on a school art trip and visiting the stained glass workshop and thinking what an interesting job it looked, and that was it – I decided to go for it.

The process of how you design and make your own glass work if it’s a commission and not a restoration – does it take you long? 
When I’m working to commission, I like things to be as collaborative as possible, and clients often come to me with a list of ideas they want to include in the window. One of the parts of the process I enjoy the most is weaving these ideas into a visually pleasing design. I will usually set up a mood board on Pinterest and pool images there until I can feel something taking shape in terms of the concept.  

The next stage is to create some sketches of potential designs. Once I have something on paper that I feel is going in the right direction, I present it to the client to see what their thoughts are, and at this stage there is often a few tweaks until we arrive at the final concept.  

After that I will draw up the cartoon, which is the full size design, and once that is approved, glass cutting can begin. Once the glass is cut, I add the painted detail, which is then fired in the kiln for permanency. Lastly the glass pieces are fitted together with lead strips, soldered at the joints, and finally cemented (brushed all over with a runny black putty) to make it strong and waterproof.

So let's chat about your BEAUTIFUL book Wild Swimming, it's a little different to your Stained Glass work. The idea was originally for the fabulous Sisterhood Camp wasn’t it? (which I am gutted is no more!) How did the idea actually come around and what made you decide to continue to make it?

Yes, the idea behind it was to make it as a gift for guests at a talk I was giving at the Sisterhood Camp retreat, hosted at Fforest in Wales. I wanted to put together a booklet with a few safety pointers, but which also conveyed the joy and beauty of swimming outdoors. I contacted Gemma as I loved her illustrations, and thankfully she was into the idea! I think having Gemma on board really focussed my mind on getting it done, because I knew her illustrations would make the book something special. Also having a deadline (the talk at the retreat) helped, although there might have been a couple of all nighters to get it done on time!!



In a nutshell what's in the book?

It's an introduction to wild swimming, with practical advice, safety tips and health benefits, as well as inspiring quotes, useful resources and beautiful illustrations by Gemma.  The guide is really for those wishing to dip their toe into the glorious pursuit of wild swimming in lakes, rivers, pools, waterfalls and the sea.



Gemma (@gemmakoomen) did the illustrations for the book, have you worked with her before – did you already know her or was this a first time collab? 

I actually approached Gemma out of the blue. I had followed her work on Instagram for a while and really felt a connection to it. It was one of those “if you don’t ask you’ll never know” situations.



The book has now taken on a bit of a life for itself and has had wide spread fantastic press – were you expecting it to do so well and do you think you'll do anymore?

The success of the book has been amazing. It is always a surprise to see orders coming in from all over the world. This year I decided to give the book its own Instagram account, having previously just used my stained glass account, and that has allowed new people and stockists to discover it. I have had a couple of ideas about doing another book project, but things have been so busy with stained glass for the past 3 years that I genuinely haven’t had time.   



Lockdown has obviously meant for many of us projects were stopped - has the book (with juggling family life!) helped you stay focused?

Lockdown has been a strange time for everyone, and although a few of my bigger stained glass commissions have been put on hold, I’ve had a stream of smaller ones that have filled in the gap. It was quite a juggle with the homeschooling though. Things on the book front have also been quite busy - I think because swimming pools have been closed a lot of people have decided to try wild swimming for the first time, so there has definitely been a spike in interest.



What’s next on the agenda for you – what are your plans? where can we see your work? 

Having worked flat out on commissions for the past few years, I’d like to get back to making smaller pieces and playing with new ideas. I need to get better at not taking on too much to free up time for creating more work in my own style. One thing I would like to do of, is  collaborations with other artists and creatives. There is something very rewarding and energising about the process.



Do you have any specific other creatives that you really champion and suggest anyone wanting to start out should go check out?

There are so many that it’s hard to know where to start, but I have really enjoyed following the careers of

Jono Smart the potter - @Jonosmart,

Luke Hope a wood carver - @hopeinthewoods,

Chloe Rosetta Bell another potter - @chloerosettabell

and Sophie Sellu a wood carver - @grainandknot



Seeing them putting in the work and honing their craft has been really inspiring.



and finally any advice to creatives and artists  just starting out in business or about to head to Uni?

My advice would just be to stick at it. It’s hard when you’re starting something new and it isn’t going the way you want it to, or the work you’re producing doesn’t feel good enough, but just keep going, keep improving, keep learning. Remember that making mistakes and getting it wrong is just an inevitable part of the learning process.

Take every opportunity that comes your way that excites you, and seek out people who inspire you - build a network of other artists and makers and support each other.





Buy Wild Swimming the pocket sized guide and see more wonderful illustrations @thelittlewildswimmingbook

Follow Flora's beautiful Stained Glass Work @theroundwindow

or contact her directly for commissions and restorations - www.florajamieson.co.uk

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Jewellery with Meaning - Hannah Weston

09 Jul, 2021
Hannah makes jewellery with a big heart! Delicate "everyday" designs that are a token of joy, adding that little bit of shine to the rhythms of life, with every single piece in the collections having an intention or story behind it. The ethos of her Hannah's business came from that ever striving need to be a thoughtful giver of gifts that are meaningful. Hannah Weston Jewellery is a celebration of the stories that knit our lives together and connect us to our dearest family and friends. Family sits at the core of everything — the Nordic collection names featured in Hannahs collections are a nod to her brother and his family in Norway. We've had many conversations about how running your own business has its own highs and lows (being a one man band can be a lonely place at times) but Hannah has gone from strength to strength and the last few years have seen her producing work for two pop up stints in John Lewis, a feature in Tatler magazine, a little spot in Holly Tuckers "fly the flag for small business" campaign (see the video here) and a move from juggling the business with a full time teaching job, to full time, self employed brilliant craftswoman and maker. I chatted with Hannah about how she came to be the founder of her own company and the journey she's been on get to where she is now. "I think my journey was a bit accidental… I never woke up one day and thought ‘oooh, I think I’d like to start a jewellery business’. I started making jewellery as a child – I was born with no fingers on one hand and went through a number of phases of trying to do everything one handed. The first phase was as a toddler, so my Mum would sit down at the dining room table with me and we’d string buttons on shirring elastic and make necklaces. I like being creative – making things with my hands. My Gran taught me to knit and embroider and make my own clothes. In 2013 my jewellery making got a bit more serious and I started to document my journey on social media – I gained a bit of a following and people started to ask me to make Christmas and Birthday presents. Then when I went back to work part time after having my daughter, my hours would fluctuate each year, giving me a bit more time to invest in my business – and I got to the point where I thought ‘you know what…. let’s give this a go, see if it can be a thing’ – I didn’t want to get to 60 having not tried."

From handy woman to Ceramic Artist - Jenny Chan

08 Jan, 2021
Born in Hong Kong Jenny Chan spent much of her childhood on the small island of Nauru, Micronesia, northeast of Australia but settled in the UK around five and a half years ago. Working with clay, her works are sculptural, primary about faces, making figurative figurines, wall masks and during 2020 she launched a new series of framed small faces wall art. "Not in wildest dreams did I think that I would be in the creative industry. I started my clay journey in 2014 during a very difficult time in my life. I am mostly self-taught from watching hours of YouTube. I found clay gave me focus, peace and fulfilment, the ideal distraction for relieving anxiety away from life difficulties and isolation as a new immigrant in the UK." Without any formal education in arts or ceramics, Jenny believes her love of 3D objects developed tinkering from an early age as the "handy woman" of the house! Without access to a kiln, Jenny then worked as a cleaner in exchange for free kiln firing time within a commercial studio - the Ceramic Studio in Stratford-upon-Avon. After then joining a local artist group, the Leamington Artists Studio, she realised her work was actually being very well received. Grappling with the latest technologies and a changing society after emerging from being a stay at home mum for 16 years was daunting but Jenny's confidence grew not just with her clay skills but within herself as a person during her time at Leamington. As a ceramicist her influencers include works from Rhian Malin , who Jenny observes has made such incredible achievements since 2016 - reaching from a great online presence to having her work heavily featured in many publications. Following a move to the North, Jenny was offered an opportunity in the Craft Council Hot House Programme in 2019 - a Yorkshire Artspace Starter Program which she feels was a pivotal moment for her work that did not centre around her age, ethnicity or educational background. Guiding her work has always been an inner focus on things that are important to Jenny - integrity, honesty and above all a woman trying to find peace and self-worth within. Using traditional hand-building techniques in coiling and slab building, each piece is unique and individually sculpted generally taking a number of days to perfect. No two pieces are the same and are made using mainly porcelain and stoneware clay. Some sculptures are partially press-moulded and individually carved whilst others sculpted from scratch. Any impressions and inlay surface decoration is made using a minimal glaze - coloured slips, oxides and underglazes, emphasising a natural clay texture and colour. Jenny's designs are very much guided by her surroundings of the day, something she may have read or seen on TV. The face mask series based on BBC100 women for example included some modelling on famous people, ie. Amelia Earhart, ‘Grayson Perry’ entwined with imaginary characters. During the March 2020 lockdown Jenny developed a new series ‘Standing Together’ (seen below) for NHS workers, a long-lasting recognition gift for their dedication to the Pandemic. Channelling her focus and anxiety around the Pandemic Jenny was able to make small framed wall art from modelling clay without the use of kiln firing. "If I cannot make work in the studio, I will use a shower plastic curtain on my carpeted floor to make work."
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