Maker of the month / Wood

Isle of Wight-based artist Tim Johnson is a man of many parts. As well as specialising in the low-tech field of basketwork and making sculptures out of natural, traditional materials, he also works in the high-tech field of photography and is interested in performance art, costume and teaching. What connects these diverse strands are his love of nature, experiment and intuition, and above all a joy in the process of making: ‘I’m really interested in getting stuck in and getting my hands dirty’, he says.

Furniture designer-maker Matthew Burt produces a wide range of both free-standing and fitted furniture in his Wiltshire workshop but all of it is characterised by the respect he shows his beloved wood and an attention to detail. He says, 'I am not ashamed of the craftsmanship that goes into both the design and the making of my furniture and I am dedicated to understanding my material and using it responsibly.'

Robert Race has been making wooden objects for nearly thirty years, starting with dolls’ houses and miniature furniture. He also made some moving toys for children, but these gradually developed into moving objects intended for adults and automata which incorporated simple mechanisms. ‘I was interested in developing toy mechanisms to produce things that move in simple, but interesting ways’, he says.

Fred Baier calls himself a furniture artist rather than a craftsman, although craftsmanship plays an important role in the creation of his unusual, highly contemporary-style pieces. His furniture is often complex and visually challenging and Baier explains, ‘ In everything I make there are all sorts of different layers – imagery, narrative, structure and use.’ He adds, ‘My pieces are intended as pioneering furniture statements rather than products.’
Visit Fred Baier's website

Horticulturalist Angela Morley works as a garden designer and also makes sculptures from willow and other natural materials. Both strands of her work are informed by her great affinity to nature and her delight in the potential beauty of everything in the natural world from fungi and mosses to feathers and seedpods. She says, ‘As a child I spent most of my time wandering the meadows and woods in awe of all the wild plants and as an adult I am still happiest outside. My love of nature is my greatest inspiration’.