"I
haven't done my best piece yet"
(Chris Wright)
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Buy
"Curious Crafts of Old England" DVD
from our shop on AMAZON
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Three
films on one DVD
This DVD celebrates the life and work of three distinct
craftsmen, demonstrating ancient skills adapted for the modern
world.
PLAY MOVIE
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Graham Baker
the Smith
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Chris Wright
Roadside Woodcarver
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A
nostalgic and amusing visit to a 200 year old family-run forge in
rural Buckinghamshire. In the foundry Graham pours molten metal
from the red-hot furnace into hand-made moulds made of sand in
exactly the same way his grandfather did.
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A
chainsaw is used to cut wood- but from the first burst of sound
from the saw, this film shows the viewer just what can be achieved
when the chainsaw is in the hands of a master woodcarver.
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Still
running the family business he, his brother Geoffrey and son
Jeremy create beautiful
bespoke pieces ranging from nameplates to wrought iron gates using
time-honoured skills.
Whilst giving a masterclass on mould-making, Graham tells Debra
amusing stories of the business and the life and times at Gomme's
Forge. His 96
year-old mother enthralls Debra with how the business began and
Graham's childhood.
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Chris
Wright is a talented and skilled craftsman, creating superb
carvings from most unremarkable stumps of wood, and carves for the
viewer from start to finish, a majestic bird of prey glistening in
the sunlight from it's coating of Danish Oil. Chris explains his
motivation and passion for wood, evidenced in the film's musical
montage of incredible carvings. Debra spends the whole day with
Chris and his family at the roadside in the Cotswolds, learning
from his wife Kate, the attraction of their itinerant lifestyle,
and is permitted an intimate look into their imposing showman's
carriages that carry their home. Fast paced, noisy and visually
stimulating, this film offers an intriguing glimpse of an
alternative way of life, and captures a master craftsman at work.
Running time 84 minutes
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Graham Piggott
Fantasy Sculptor
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Not
far from Oxford is the wondrous showroom and studio of Graham
Piggott, a
sculptor of rare skill and imagination, and as we step over the
threshold we step through the looking glass into another world.
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Graham
creates one of his mystical creatures for the viewer in his
workroom and explains his motivation for his figures, giving a
rare insight into the creativity of a master craftsman. His famous
'Alice in Wonderland' figures and dragons are filmed in detail,
and Corri, Graham's wife reveals the background to so many of his
inspirations. A unique and absorbing master class that draws the
viewer in, leaving one with a desire to see these superb fantasy
figures in person.
A beautifully lit sequence of Graham's larger pieces, accompanied
with dramatic music convince the viewer of Graham's genius. The
film concludes with unbricking of the kiln after firing and
watching Graham and Corri take out the marvellous finished figures
ready for sale.
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Back to Films & Shop
Home Page
Links:
www.piggottsculpture.co.uk
Graham and Corri Piggott
http://www.gommesforge.co.uk
Gomme's Forge
http://www.vagzvandweller.co.uk
Chris Wright
©
Grindelwald Productions
2004
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