Stunning carvings and craft items showcase Britain’s best woodcarving

Australia
By William

>

The best British woodworking talent is judged for a prestigious event.

Three contestants compete for Heritage Crafts and Axminster Tools’s Woodworker of the Year.

And – as these photos show – the competition is tough. The three finalists are a wood carver, a cabinet maker and a musical instrument maker. And the winner will be chosen on November 7th.

Otters seemingly swimming in an elm board. Most of worker David Robinson's work consists of wildlife, landscapes, flowers and plants

Otters seemingly swimming in an elm board. Most of worker David Robinson’s work consists of wildlife, landscapes, flowers and plants

Rockpool: The 'pool table' is inspired by a rock pool in Scotland's Western Isles - and is filled with sea creatures

Rockpool: The 'pool table' is inspired by a rock pool in Scotland's Western Isles - and is filled with sea creatures

Rockpool: The ‘pool table’ is inspired by a rock pool in Scotland’s Western Isles – and is filled with sea creatures

Celebrating the sculptor's memorable journeys to Peru and Brazil, this tabletop records 21 animals. David said 'the jaguar's expression was a challenge to capture, the scornful look on the giant river otter's face is a delight, and the sloth - well, life is clearly good, hang in there, be happy'

Celebrating the sculptor's memorable journeys to Peru and Brazil, this tabletop records 21 animals. David said 'the jaguar's expression was a challenge to capture, the scornful look on the giant river otter's face is a delight, and the sloth - well, life is clearly good, hang in there, be happy'

Celebrating the sculptor’s memorable journeys to Peru and Brazil, this tabletop records 21 animals. David said the jaguar’s expression was a challenge to capture, the scornful look on the giant river otter’s face is a delight, and the sloth… well life is clearly good, hang in there, be happy ‘

1664732130 519 Stunning carvings and craft items showcase Britains best woodcarving

1664732130 519 Stunning carvings and craft items showcase Britains best woodcarving

Inspired by the Highland Loch Rannoch, this shows an osprey diving down to catch a trout. It is made from Scotch elm, hand rubbed oil and beeswax

Daniel Carpenter, Heritage Crafts director, said: “We are thrilled with the quality shown among the finalists for this new award with Axminster Tools.

‘The UK is full of craft talent, despite it not always being easy for craftsmen to do what they do amid the challenges and demands of modern life.

“We need to shout louder about this important and enriching part of our culture.”

The three finalists are David Robinson from East Lothian in Scotland, Jonathan Hill from London and Robin Johnson from Hastings.

David Robinson is a self-taught woodcarver with 30 years of experience.

He mostly works with chisels that he made himself from old pocket knives and pieces of old Land Rover spring.

The sculptor mostly uses Scottish hardwoods for his projects, using the grain features to give expression to the animals he depicts.

Meanwhile, Jonathan makes historical and modern stringed instruments, including the viola d’amore, lira da braccio, violin and viola families.

This Lira da braccio - a European Renaissance string instrument - is largely based on the example of Giovanni Maria da Brescia in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford

This Lira da braccio - a European Renaissance string instrument - is largely based on the example of Giovanni Maria da Brescia in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford

This Lira da braccio – a European Renaissance string instrument – is largely based on the example of Giovanni Maria da Brescia in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford

This Brescian-style instrument from Northern Italy is the same size as a viola and has five strings on the fingerboard and two bourdon strings that can be tuned to the player's liking

This Brescian-style instrument from Northern Italy is the same size as a viola and has five strings on the fingerboard and two bourdon strings that can be tuned to the player's liking

This Brescian-style instrument from Northern Italy is the same size as a viola and has five strings on the fingerboard and two bourdon strings that can be tuned to the player’s liking

This beautiful Die Lorelei 7/7 Viola D'Amore has a beautiful blue-green color with its decoration based on the legend of ¿die Lorelei¿, a German poem by Heinrich Heine, in which an enchanting, seductive mermaid lures sailors to their deaths. Each part is made using traditional techniques and materials that match the theme. The color is made of indigo carmine color and phthalocyanine oil pigment

This beautiful Die Lorelei 7/7 Viola D'Amore has a beautiful blue-green color with its decoration based on the legend of ¿die Lorelei¿, a German poem by Heinrich Heine, in which an enchanting, seductive mermaid lures sailors to their deaths. Each part is made using traditional techniques and materials that match the theme. The color is made of indigo carmine color and phthalocyanine oil pigment

This beautiful Die Lorelei 7/7 Viola D’Amore has a beautiful blue-green color with its decoration based on the legend of ‘die Lorelei’, a German poem by Heinrich Heine, in which an enchanting, seductive mermaid lures sailors to their deaths. Each part is made using traditional techniques and materials that match the theme. The color is made of indigo carmine color and phthalocyanine oil pigment

His biography states that he ‘worked for a master violin maker in Yorkshire, and studied instrument making in Turkey with a master traditional oud maker’.

And his website says his work reflects the beauty, artisanal skill, and non-standardization seen in period instruments.

Finally, Robin Johnson produces custom joinery, furniture and metalwork from his workshop in Hastings.

Over the past 12 months he has designed and built the furniture for a gold medal winning main garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and has appeared in TV shows Kings of the Wood and Salvage Hunters – The Restorers.

The work of all three will be judged for the Heritage Crafts competition.

The charity was established to celebrate and protect traditional craft skills as a fundamental part of the UK’s living heritage.

Robin makes abstract corner shelving, made of hardwood plywood with cedar edges. Robin cut thousands of cubes of mixed hardwood, in various lengths, and then affixed them to the outside of the racks, before finishing the inside of the racks in Micro-Cement in a range of colors

Robin makes abstract corner shelving, made of hardwood plywood with cedar edges. Robin cut thousands of cubes of mixed hardwood, in various lengths, and then affixed them to the outside of the racks, before finishing the inside of the racks in Micro-Cement in a range of colors

Robin makes abstract corner shelving, made of hardwood plywood with cedar edges. Robin cut thousands of cubes of mixed hardwood, in various lengths, and then affixed them to the outside of the racks, before finishing the inside of the racks in Micro-Cement in a range of colors

This small lake treehouse sits on a metal frame and uses an old felled oak for the structure

This small lake treehouse sits on a metal frame and uses an old felled oak for the structure

This small lake treehouse sits on a metal frame and uses an old felled oak for the structure

Robin was commissioned by garden and landscape designer Joe Perkins to design and create his Meta Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which explored the relationship between fungi and trees. This is the Chanterelle chair, inspired by the shape of the mushroom with which the chair shares its name

Robin was commissioned by garden and landscape designer Joe Perkins to design and create his Meta Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which explored the relationship between fungi and trees. This is the Chanterelle chair, inspired by the shape of the mushroom with which the chair shares its name

Robin was commissioned by garden and landscape designer Joe Perkins to design and create his Meta Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which explored the relationship between fungi and trees. This is the Chanterelle chair, inspired by the shape of the mushroom with which the chair shares its name

The president is King Charles and has Jay Blades of The Repair Shop as a trustee.

Axminster Tools works with makers and makers at all levels, from craftsmen to craft enthusiasts.

A spokesperson said: ‘This new award celebrates a heritage craftsman who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of woodworking over the past year.

“It recognizes a contribution far beyond the ordinary, based on a proven dedication to a particular woodworking skill.”

The judges are Robin Wood, an internationally respected green woodworker, Alan Styles, director of Axminster Tools and Sarah Goss, a traditional woodcarver.

You might also like More from author