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PROFILE
Dennis works with locally grown sycamore, holly, ash
and maple. The white woods offer a natural canvas on which to incorporate a
wide range of finishing techniques. Turned, carved, textured surfaces
finished with water soluble dyes and metal leaf are used to enhance the
natural features of the wood whilst achieving a sympathetic balance of form
and finish. His work includes fruit displays, Sycamore bowls embellished
with silver leaf and wall plates of ash and copper.
Dennis is a member of The Norfolk Contemporary Craft Society and the
Suffolk Craft Society. His work is sold through Galleries, Exhibitions and
craft events.
Commissioned work has included; table centre fruit dishes, gold leaf bowls
and wedding anniversary wall platters. Visit the workshop display (by
appointment) to discuss individual requirements. A current commission
involves colour matching soft furnishing fabrics wall colourings and wood finishes
in the creation of a table centre and wall piece with the common feature of
gilded centres.
Dennis B.C. (Before craft)
The son of a Norfolk farmer, early influences a love of nature with
politically incorrect hobbies in the early sixties of egg collecting and
taming a magpie. The first workshop was a converted garden shed. The
enjoyment of working with wood was only surpassed by my love of food.
Management training in "hotel operations "followed formal
training as a chef. Woodwork went on to "the back burner" the
workshop became part of management therapy in the form of woodturning
started some 30 years since.
The introduction of colour came in the form of a croquet set for the
children, I had made the balls of elm and set about colouring them, at the
time I was also making petit four including a range of marzipan fruits
" and the rest is history". The history included a fifteen-year
development period of blending natural and aniline water-soluble dyes to
create the colour range and application techniques to arrest the colours,
which I liken to producing a watercolour image on blotting paper.
The turning point for a fulltime career came after being invited as guest
exhibitor with the Suffolk Craft Society. With the support of my family and
a growing demand for the work I gave up the "day job" some ten
years ago. Exhibitions at local and national level have followed with sales
to galleries and private collectors.
Recent work includes a collection of coloured and gilded boxes for a
national woodturning exhibition and the acquisition of a "local"
holly tree resulting in the production of "wet Turned" bowl and
dishes gilded with silver.
Currently working on a “satellite” collection
of six wall pieces (the largest being 65 cm. diameter, solid sycamore) for
the permanent collection of a south coast college to show the contemporary
application of colour and gilding to wood.
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SEPTEMBER 96
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DECORATIVE ARTS TODAY
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BONHAMS, KNIGHTSBRIDGE
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OCTOBER 96
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WOODGATES GALLERY
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EAST BERGHOLT, COLCHESTER ESSEX
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JUNE 97
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THE PEAROOM CENTER FOR
CONTEMPORARYCRAFT
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HECKINGTON, LINCS
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OCTOBER 98
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BIRDS and BOWLS
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DANSEL GALLERY ABBOTSBURY,
DORSET
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FEBRUARY 99
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FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
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THE FORUM NORWICH
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SEPTEMBER 00
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AUTUMN FRUITS
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GALLERY 48 LAVENHAM, SUFFOLK
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JUNE 01
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PROFILE FOUR PAGE FEATURE
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WOODTURNING (PUBLICATION)
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JUNE 2002
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JUBILEE EXHIBITION NORWICH
CASTLE
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NORFOLKCONTEMPORARY CRAFT
SOCIETY
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AUGUST 2004
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CRAFTS IN ACTION The Sussex
Guild
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MICHELHAM PRIORY SUSSEX
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JULY 2005
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ART IN ACTION
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WATERPERRY HOUSE OXFORDSHIRE
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JULY 2005
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"BRITISH WOODTURNING"
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RUFFORD CRAFT CENTRE
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JULY 2006
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ART IN ACTION
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WATERPERRY HOUSE OXFORDSHIRE
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