Come into Leitrim - Into the Garden
The Leitrim Design House will host a series of exhibitions by the designers and makers of “Into Leitrim” throughout the Summer.
“In The Garden” - May 16th to June 16th 2008 is the first collaborative exhibition between two of Leitrim’s most outstanding wood turners Niall Millar and Roy Humphreys. Both makers are working in wood but with differing designs and products. Both highlight the beauty and diverse uses of wood, bringing age-old crafts into the twenty-first century.
Their brand new collection of hand-crafted garden and household produce come from the forests of County Leitrim. “In the Garden” features a range of items for the home and garden, some traditional, some modern, from potato mashers, honey spoons, and coffee scoops to hay rakes and shoe scrapers.
Bird feeders, seed dibbers and beautifully handcrafted baby rattles are carved and turned from small native timbers found in South Leitrim. Each piece, from bog oak bowls to garden tools are treated by hand with natural oils to show the true beauty of the diverse woods used.
The Leitrim Design House offers you the opportunity to purchase gifts that reflect on the natural beauty of our landscape and local heritage. Ethical purchasing is increasing as awareness of environmental impact grows. “In the Garden” aims to emphasis the vocation of the woodworkers who encourage, maintain and often revive artistic and technical skills native to our area.
Some of the events taking place at the Leitrim Design House in May as part of “In the Garden” are:
A DEMONSTRATION OF GREEN WOODWORKING: Thursday 22nd May 12.30-1.30
Showing the use of a pole-lathe, shaving horse and other hand tools. The pole-lathe is an apparatus for turning freshly-cut (green) wood into useful items with a chisel and a foot. The shaving horse is used to hold wood for shaping with a draw-knife.
KIDS WOOD WORLD: Saturday 17th May Time: 11am-4pm
Come along to learn in a fun way about different types of local wood and their uses. Play with wooden toys, try your hand and leg at the pole-lathe (9-99yrs), make a wooden toy like cars, figures (dog, cat), planes, all done with the use of your imagination and not one drop of electricity.
All events are free and everyone is welcome along.
Into Leitrim is a guide to the Artists and Craftworkers of Leitrim. This online craft trail is a unique opportunity to see the artists at work in their studio; to hear their stories and to share something of the process involved in producing each piece of craft. Viewer’s will see exclusive designs produced in an environmentally-responsible way and experience the authenticity of the product. Together with our 2008 series of exhibitions, the website and its accompanying book take the visitor on a virtual journey into the workshops of the artists and craft-workers.
As well as the growing consumer demand for high-quality artisan products, there is an increased interest in both the person and story behind the product, and a need to understand and enjoy the energy and care that has gone into its making. “Into Leitrim” enables the widest of audiences, through the accessibility of the internet, to engage with the culture and creativity of County Leitrim as part of the Green box area.
These events are sponsored by the Leitrim Design House “Opportunities through skills programme” supported through Border Action through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 2005-2008.
For further information please contact us on 071 96 50550/50533.
www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie
