A look back on the time following my SPAB Fellowship journey.How did I hear about the Fellowship? I first became aware of the SPAB’s William Morris Craft Fellowship during an interview for my apprenticeship with Historic Environment Scotland, where I saw stonemason Chuck Jones’ (2006 Fellow) Fellowship certificate displayed on the wall. It appeared significant and yet at the time it was unknown to me, and I resolved to find out more. Soon afterward I met Graham Campbell (1994 Fellow), my lecturer at Historic Scotland’s Elgin Cathedral Depot where I attended college and trained as a stonemason. Graham’s lectures often drew from his experiences gained on the Fellowship and he spoke very highly of the programme. Additionally, two of former student Steven Laing’s (1997 Fellow) own apprentices were in my year group, and with these precedents, I began to aspire to a Fellowship journey of my own. By the beginning of 2016, I had transferred to HES’s Glasgow Cathedral Depot, led by Works Manager Johnnie Clarke (2013 Fellow) and District Works Manager Erik Ramsay (2000 Fellow). With the influence of so many previous fellows, it was a natural step to apply to the SPAB following my own apprenticeship - to develop my own sense of the philosophy of conservation, and to bring this approach back to my workplace. What was my experience on the program? During my Fellowship I was lucky enough to have the company of fellow stonemason Thom Kinghorn-Evans; stained-glass conservator Lizzie Hippisley-Cox and slate-roofer Peter McCluskey as we toured the country visiting craftspeople and heritage experts. I found the lasting benefits of the program to be the close contacts made during the total 6 months of travelling, whether on sites of historical interest or during visits to factories, studios, homes and workshops. I had a particular love of the hands-on opportunities, too many to list here in full, but that included: stonemasonry; thatching; blacksmithing; pargeting; brickmaking; mud-building; stained-glass repair; gilding; carpentry; and firing up our own lime kiln at the The Centre for Alternative Technology in mid-Wales. Other unforgettable moments included watching molten lead poured to form sand cast lead sheet, and getting close enough during the cleaning of the ‘Quadriga’ statue above the Wellington Arch to read the makers names engraved into the wings of Peace. The most influential experiences occurred during the final phase of the Fellowship, where we are encouraged to dive into our own particular interests. For me, it was the time spent in Graciela Ainsworth’s Sculpture Conservation studios, learning about the delicate and precise work of a conservator – something which had always appealed to me as a conservation stonemason - and ultimately my week at the City & Guilds of London Art School during a ‘taster’ of their BA (Hons) course in Historic Carving that hooked me in. I applied to join the course that following year. What has that led to since in my career? Shortly after graduating from the City & Guilds of London Art School I had the equally good fortune of being mentored by lettering artists Charlotte Howarth and Louise Tiplady through a placement on The Lettering Arts Trust's 9th Annual Journeyman Scheme, designed to give new carvers the skills, training and confidence required to become fully self-employed. What are my plans for the future? I have recently moved to Devon and I am currently looking for a studio, whilst carving from home and building up the basis for my own business. I am looking forward to visiting the workshops of my LAT Journeyman mentors as soon as Covid restrictions allow – much as been achieved digitally yet it is hard to beat being hands-on when it comes to carving tuition. This year also sees me going full-circle to become a Trustee of William Morris Craft Fellowship Trust. In this role I hope to help continue funding the placement of Fellows: to keep the philosophy of building repair in live discussion whilst training our craftspeople in the skills to best preserve our built heritage the world over.
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AuthorHeather Griffith is a stone mason from Scotland, and currently taking part in The Lettering Arts Trust Journeyman Scheme for 2020/21. Archives
June 2021
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