Gillian
Nott
Born
in Fulmer Chase, Bucks. (1941) the daughter of a Newquay RAF Officer
Contact
details:
Higher
Bejowan
Quintrell Downs
Newquay
Cornwall TR8 4LJ
Tel. 01726 860296
e-mail address: gillian@bejowan.clara.co.uk
Although trained as a laboratory technician, Gillian has always
had a great love of art and design. Accompanying her husband on
overseas postings, she became involved with teaching crafts to children,
needlework and drawing to adults, and designing costumes, programmes
and posters for the amateur theatre. She was first introduced to
straw work by a friend in Newquay who was a skilled corn dolly maker.
Thoroughly hooked on straw, Gillian took every opportunity to practice
this ancient craft, giving talks, demonstrations and workshops all
over Cornwall. Membership of the Guild of Straw Craftsmen expanded
her knowledge of straw work, exploring different disciplines such
as straw marquetry, Swiss straw work, tied straw work, lip work,
straw embroidery (though she drew the line at thatching!). For the
past eight years she has been Editor of the Guild’s magazine,
and their Historian and Archivist. In 2001 she achieved the City
& Guilds Creative Skills Certificate for Straw Work, and was
subsequently awarded their Medal for Excellence. 2003 saw the publication
of a book on Swiss Straw Work techniques for which she produced
over 600 working diagrams. Gillian feels strongly that, whilst embracing
the new and innovative, we should not lose sight of our traditional
straw heritage. |
