John Grillo, a former business intelligence analyst from Denver, Colorado, is proving to be a highly creative designer whose use of negative space and clean, simple lines create a feeling of openness. A previous project was a beech writing desk which exemplifies that philosophy, owing much to the contemporary movement of the late 20th century, with a pared-back design to …
It’s been a year of anniversaries, from the 300th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Chippendale, after whom the school is named, to the 200th anniversary of the school’s main building, originally built as a farmhouse. The school is set within rolling countryside two miles away from our nearest town, Haddington, which is this year …
A town of Robert the Bruce and Mary Queen of Scots Read More »
We all have ways of coping with the pressures of life, and for some stars of film and music their preference is woodworking. Back in 2008, actor Brad Pitt commissioned a desk from leading US designer Frank Pollaro, who personally delivered it to the actor’s chateau in the south of France. During the visit, Pollaro …
Last week was all about making Windsor chairs. Students worked in teams of four to complete their Windsor chairs, under the expert guidance of Tom Thackray and Stephen Langton. Tom has been making Windsor chairs, and teaching others how to make them, for some 50 years and, together with son-in-law Stephen, they are a renowned …
Gianluca Caregnato, from near Milan in northern Italy, first came to the Chippendale school last April on one of our introductory courses. These one week courses give keen hobbyists a new range of skills to take their hobby to another level, but also give others the chance to consider whether a long-term career in woodworking …
Gilding is a technique that was invented by the ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago and reached a zenith in the European Renaissance. In the early millennia, the technique was used to gild gold onto sarcophagi and statues, and then illuminated religious texts. In the Middle Ages it was used on sacred paintings, particularly to illuminate features such as …
From Pharaohs to saintly halos, and from modern art to gold ingots Read More »
