Ideas in the Making: A Creativity Symposium for All

Ideas in the Making: A Creativity Symposium for All

A Creativity Symposium, supported by Arts Council England, will be held at the iconic Oxford University Museum of Natural History as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks on 

Saturday, 25 April, 10 – 5.

 

Ideas in the Making: A Creativity Symposium for All invites the public to explore creative thinking and practice through a wide range of creative activities, lectures and expert-led workshops.  

The event is open to everyone, from families looking for free, fun and creative activities in the inspiring environs of the museums, to casual observers who are curious about exploring different perspectives on creativity in everyday life.

The Symposium will begin at 10am with a free programme in the historic lecture theatre of the Natural History Museum.  Keynote speakers, Dr. Tracey Warr (Art), Professor Simon Olding (Craft), and Dr. Andrew Lack (Ecology) will explore ideas of creativity in their fields. This will be followed by a panel discussion with professionals active in creative fields, including fine art, craft, design and architecture.  

From 1pm, family-focussed, creative activities organised by a range of organisations and artists, including Oxford Brookes Fine Art students, Rycotewood Furniture Centre, Art in Action, River & Rowing Museum and the Sylva Foundation, will be taking place throughout the Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museums.  

A series of expert-led creative workshops will run parallel to these activities, facilitated by Dr. Robin Wilson (Wytham Woods), Giuseppe Boscherini (Designer, Architect) and Clair Chinnery (Senior Lecturer Fine Art, Oxford Brookes).  

Morning talks and afternoon children’s activities are free.

Tickets for the specialist creative workshops can be purchased at £5 through www.ticketsoxford.com 

Dan's preparations and construction processes in the making of the Egyptian headrest copy

Dan Harrison, our talented and insightful intern/trainee, made a copy of a 4500-year-old Egyptian headrest. The copy is on display in our exhibition Forest to Furniture: Ideas in the Making at the River Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames. Dan had a great day researching the headrest with wonderful support from the staff at the Pitts Rivers Museum, Oxford, where the original headrest is on display. 

The photos here show Dan’s preparation and the various stages involved in the construction of the headrest copy.

Did you know that woodworkers have been at the centre of civilization building, from the first settlements over 10,000 years ago to the present day?

The original Egyptian headrest, made 4,500 years ago.
It's on display at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

The original Egyptian headrest was made 4,500 years ago. The three sections are joined using a mortice and tenon joint, a method of construction ONLY employed in Britain for the last 500 years. It has been carved to create a very elegant form.

Copy of the headrest, made by Dan Harrison
On display at River Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames

Forest to Furniture: Ideas in the Making at the River Rowing Museum

Tomorrow morning, Saturday 14 February, is the start of my exhibition Forest to Furniture: Ideas in the Making at the River Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames.

The exhibition will run until 7 June and I hope you will be able to visit.

Forest to Furniture: Ideas in the Making examines the relationship between art, craft, design and the creative process through my work. Forest to Furniture showcases the development of my furniture over forty years and my sustainable approach to using timber from local woodlands and managed forests.

Ideas in the Making demonstrates the creative process. Using locally sourced wood, I display a series of experiments, exploring the relationship between art, craft and design to reveal the potential of form and surface.

I will offer “guided tours “on a regular basis. This month I will be at the museum to give an introduction and Q&A session on Friday 27^th @ 3 pm and Saturday 28th February @ 10.30 am.

There are limited places available for the tours so please advise me if you are coming, preferably by email furniture@philipkoomen.co.uk.

I will update you with dates for the March guided tours nearer the time.

If you do visit the museum, I hope you will enjoy the exhibition (feedback welcome!).

What Jody and I are up to and Koomen Gallery Items for Sale

At present I am preoccupied preparing for my forthcoming exhibition Forest to Furniture: Ideas in the Making, an Arts Council England supported project coinciding with my celebrating 40 years of furniture making! This will take place at the River Rowing Museum 14 February - 7 June 2015.  

Jody Koomen has had a fruitful and successful year developing his own furniture design and making direction, which he was able to exhibit and demonstrate at this year's Art in Action (Waterperry, Oxford). He is very busy working on a number of commissions.

For these reasons we will not this winter be able to host a specific, seasonal open day.

However, we do have some ready-made, lovely items for sale in our Koomen Gallery at Wheelers Barn, Checkendon.  

Below are shown images of most of the items for sale at the gallery.

You are most welcome to drop by the workshop/gallery if you wanted to have a look or say hello but please telephone first to check someone is available to let you in!

Delven Table

Burr White Ash

£390 

  

Delven Table

Burr White Ash

£420 

 Delven Table

Burr Elm

£640 

Stromen Writing table / Dressing table

Oxfordshire Cherry

£2900

Kei Coffee Table

Burr Oak

£900

Tripod Table

Burr Oak

£320 

Delven Stool

Burr White Ash

£450

Magazine Rack

Checkendon Cherry

£280

Koomen Gallery
Wheelers Barn
Bradleys Street
Checkendon
Near Henley on Thames
South Oxfordshire
RG8 0NJ
01491 681122

Oxfordshire Artweeks* Open Workshop

Sale of Work

It's that time of year again and soon Oxfordshire Artweeks will be happening. this year South Oxfordshire is kicking off weeks of artists and crafts people's open studios and workshops around Oxfordshire. You are very welcome to visit our workshop in Checkendon, South Oxfordshire, over the weekends 3-4 and 10-11 May (11-4pm) when we will be open for Artweeks as well as holding a Sale of Work of exhibition pieces.

The Koomen Gallery, a collaboration between Philip and Jody Koomen, will also be open. This is where you can buy from a selection of a range of boxes, magazine racks, tables and mirrors, priced from £100 - £500.

*Artweeks is an opportunity to come, look, enjoy and talk to us without feeling obligated to buy. A free catalogue and local trail map of open studios will be available from the workshop.

Tripod small tables

The ideal handmade present perhaps if you have a wedding, birthday, anniversary etc coming up or just to treat yourself. These tripod small tables come in a variety of local woods and cost £320 each.
At present we have these tables available in our workshop gallery (do visit w/o obligation) in tiger oak, brown oak, walnut and burr oak.

Tripod occasional tables

Walnut, burr oak, tiger oak and brown oak tops on turned oak legs

Oxfordshire Artweeks Workshop Exhibition

Our workshop is having open days once again during Oxfordshire Artweeks. You are welcome to drop by and visit us on Saturday and Sunday, 18 - 19 May, 12.00 - 6.00 pm

We are showing new designs and have a permanent space selling called The Koomen Gallery, which sells small items such as boxes by Jody Koomen and our furniture. You will be able to see Jody working on some of his items during the exhibition.

Jody smoothing and waxing a walnut box

Jody smoothing and waxing a walnut box.
In the foreground you can see some interesting shapes with which Philip could intrigue you!