Sunday, June 09, 2013

Craftex 2013

So, after all the blogging of the degree shows and other peoples' students' work, it is now the time of my own non-degree students to shine. Every year, the august body, The Trades Hall of Glasgow, a marvellous philanthropic association of people who strive to preserve the craft skills in society, organise a competition between the colleges of Further Education in which the students compete to win substantial cash prizes, certificates, business advice and commissions. It has been running for some years now and we always do rather well, so much so that one of the other colleges huffily and selfishly pulled out this year, denying their students access to the potential benefits they could gain from taking part and having their work seen by a larger audience.

The Trades Hall building is really beautiful and it looks great when it is full of all the craft exhibitions:

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 -

Everything is exhibited, from milnery to musical instruments, from fashion to stained-glass. North Glasgow College swept the board this year in fashion and jewellery, I am delighted to say!

The overall prize - the "Deacon Convener's Prize" - as well as the prize for silversmithing went to my student, Inness Thompson for his "Sea Stack" salt-cellar, a remarkable construction which he made entirely by himself; design, construction, polishing and setting. The great thing about this piece, for me, is that the hinges are on a slant, so the lid doesn't lift square to the base...

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Inness Thompson - 5

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Inness Thompson - 6

Helen Whyte, one of my first-year students also won the prize for the non-advanced jewellery with a piece which, as you can see, is fairly advanced!

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Helen Whyte - 3

Other pieces of note were the bangle by Carol Docherty, based on the "Garden of Eden" and the pendant by Wesley Zweip:

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Carol Docherty - 12

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Wesley Zweip - 11

I also really liked our non-advanced silverwares entry, Linda Hazlie's little easel showing one of her own miniuature paintings:

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Linda Hazlie - 9

I even managed to enter a piece by Ross Menzies, one of my students on the supported learning course!

Trades House "Craftex" 2013 - Ross Menzies - 2



My degree students are not forgotten. They are mired in creative mayhem, arranging their degree show. I need say nothing. These pictures are worth a thousand words!

Degree Show Madness - 7

Degree Show Madness - 5

Degree Show Madness - 2

Degree Show Madness - 1