The idea was to get artists and makers taking part in Dorset Art Weeks to come along and have a ‘creative sit down’, get some interesting looking artists to populate the bench to promote it and DAW at the same time. Looking up at the grey heavens it was hard to imagine anyone would come really, but sure enough at 2pm, all of a sudden Dorset’s artists and makers came up trumps. I won’t claim in was a huge show but I will name every one of you to show my appreciation!

Jenny Crocker (Printmaker)
Emily Morgan (Landscape Painter)
Jem Main (DVA Director)
Suzy Rushbrook (DVA Administrator)
Alice Blogg (Furniture Maker)
Ann Pearce (Jeweller)
Tracey McGarrigan (DVA Co-ordinator)
Gavin Hutchison (Project Architects)
Bridget & Edward Pirie (yes my family to boost numbers!)
Jack Russell (a small hairy dog)

Glad to say there were people with cameras, notebooks and microphones present and of course the team from Watershed PR who will distribute the press release to all those journalists too scared of the rain. Talking of which, it miraculously stopped at a couple of minutes to 2pm. Perhaps the curse is over, then again as I look at of the workshop window…

The team of makers at Simon Thomas Pirie in Briantspuddle has crafted the exquisite curving steamed and scorched oak bench for the refreshed Tudor Arcade shopping area in Dorchester. Along its winding 10 metre path are single ‘throne’ like chairs, side by side love seats, more conventional 3 seat benches and open areas for informal sitting.

Click here to see the film of how they made this new piece of public seating.

The furniture included in this auction is speculative work and ex-show pieces that are for sale well below the usual commission price. Every few years we sell-off show pieces in order to make new speculative work and try out new design ideas. We have already had to withdraw two items – a large table and a pair of Impala chairs, as an existing client has snapped them up!

So how is this going to work? Those familiar with ebay will understand the ground rules. We display the normal ‘commission’ price, the ‘reserve’ price, that I won’t take an offer below, and a ‘buy it now’ price, to secure it immediately. The duration of the auction is basically the duration of Dorset Art Weeks – from 10am on Saturday May 26th, with all bids closing at 5pm on Sunday 10th June. Bids can be placed in person here at the Courtyard workshop, (DAW venue 36) or via our Facebook page. You will be kept informed if you have been outbid via twitter, facebook, this blog, or by phone if you prefer.

It’s worth also saying that there are pieces of furniture which are not in the auction, including our last edition ‘Torii’ side tables, some new and exciting garden furniture, the still fairly new ‘Gabriel’ chair and one or two surprise pieces.

There are some auction terms and conditions you should read at the bottom of this blog post, but it’s nothing too onerous. So what pieces of exquistite work are going under the carpenters mallet…

‘Banquet’ Dining Table

The Banquet dining table is as a contemporary twist on the refectory table. The ash top is bleached and scrubbed with boiling water and a wire brush creating a beautifully textured white surface. The frame and top details are made of Scottish elm. It will seat 8 to 10.

Dimensions: 230cm x 92cm, 75cm high.

Commission Price: £6250

Reserve Price: £1750

Buy It Now Price: £3750

Low Display Cabinet

The cabinet is made with two very unusual timbers. The dark wood is from a Dorset American black (Virginia) walnut tree, which grew as part of an avenue of trees to a large house, now a private school. It has an entirely different colour to commercial imported black walnut and is stunningly beautiful. The inside utilises a pippy of ‘birds eye’ sycamore, which is lit, creating a warm glow of colour ideal for collections of ceramics or glass objects.

Dimensions: 148cm x 45cm, 90cm high.

Commission Price: £5950

Reserve Price: £1450

Buy It Now Price: £2950

English Walnut Console Table

A beautiful and delicate console table full of sweeping curves and a repeating square detail motif. We currently have two similar tables, this one in English walnut with ebony details, the second in native grown black walnut and burr elm. The perfect piece for a hallway in my favorite timber.

Dimensions: 115cm x 31cm, 75cm high.

Commission Price: £2350

Reserve Price: £800

Buy It Now Price: £1500

Native Grown Black Walnut and Burr Elm Console

The sister piece to the table above. This is a native grown ‘black’ or American walnut, it’s not the same colour as the imported stuff you see everywhere, it has deeper red and purple tones – very unusual. The burr elm square details set those colours off perfectly. A beautiful and delicate occasional table looking for a home!

Dimensions: 115cm x 31cm, 75cm high.

Commission Price: £2350

Reserve Price: £800

Buy It Now Price: £1500

Drinks Cabinet in Burr Sycamore, Ripple Ash and English Walnut

A really striking piece, designed as drinks cabinet with adjustable glass shelves inside. The cabinet is suspended within an offset framework making it appear to float. The doors have a finger scollop running top to bottom with English walnut set within. The door faces have a burr sycamore on the surface, I’ve only ever seen this once so I bought as much as I could afford!

Dimensions: 78cm x 45cm, 180cm high.

Commission Price: £5950

Reserve Price: £1750

Buy It Now Price: £3750

Pair of ‘Coda’ Side Tables in Sycamore and Random Woods

This was part of an experimental range of pieces where the top is made of a panel of random pieces of timber from our off-cuts rack. Although I say random it takes ages for me to arrange the sequence and even longer to glue and sand, but the effect is pretty. The frame is made of native sycamore, the other timbers are black walnut, oak and lacewood.

Dimensions: 35cm x 35cm, 45cm high. (each)

Commission Price: £1200 (as pair)

Reserve Price: £350 (as pair)

Buy It Now Price: £500 (as pair)

Tall Alcove Shelf in Black Walnut

This needs to find a spot, it’s a bit of a long shot, but someone out there is looking for something just like this for that awkward alcove or corner they just can’t think what to do with. It was part of a set of 5 shelves that locked together forming a very abstract, random formation. All the other pieces were different widths. In the end the client felt this centre one was a bit too narrow for an important piece of ceramics they wanted displayed, so we made a new wider centre section. We could add a shelf in that very tall alcove where the ceramic piece was placed.

It does have an overhanging lip on the sides and top so could be fitted into a larger alcove space or have one built to house it.

Dimensions: 34cm wide x 30cm deep, 242cm high. (each)

Commission Price: £1750

Reserve Price: £350

Buy It Now Price: £750

THE SMALL (ISH) PRINT – Terms and Conditions:
• All items are ‘sold as seen’ and are non-returnable to Simon Thomas Pirie Furniture (STP).
• Bids increase in £25 increments. Latest bids will be displayed on STP website, STP Facebook page and other social media outlets, as well as in the Courtyard Gallery.
• Bidders will be asked to leave name, address and contact details. We reserve the right to contact a previous bid if a current highest bid cannot be contacted.
• ‘Buy it Now’ purchases to be paid for on the day to secure item and remove it from auction.
• Current highest bidders will be advised if they have been outbid by phone, email or text depending on preferred contact method.
• VAT is charged at 20% and included within above costs.
• All costs are ex-delivery. We are able to deliver within a 50 mile radius for £60 / within 100 mile radius for £120. Above that we charge an additional 40p per mile. Any congestion charge / tolls will also be added to delivery costs. You may also organise your own transport.
• Delivery details to be agreed on bid date with STP.
• All bids must be received by 5.00pm Sunday 10th June 2012.
• Once payment has been received in full delivery or collection can proceed.
• All pieces to remain on show until June 10th – except for in exceptional circumstances.

You never quite know how these things are going to go, specially when you are fixing into a surface where you don’t know what lies underneath. John, Mike and I were on site for around a day and half in the end and most of that time was spent setting out and finding the ideal position. It actually went in very easily in the end.

It’s only as we laid it out on site for the first time that we had seen it together in its entirety, there was just not enough space in the workshop to do so. Mike deserves the credit as the maker on this, he has pretty much made it from start to finish, with the odd bit of help from John and I. He mastered steam bending and scorching which were not part of his ‘fine cabinet’ making skill set before this project. Lots of people commented as we were fitting as to how beautifully made it was, which is very rewarding to hear – that people still do recognise and value quality craftsmanship over something ‘off the shelf’ in mock Victorian black and gold. Saying that mock Tudor is no better, though thankfully there is little evidence of that in Tudor Arcade. The new skylights and entrance areas by Hutchison Kivotos Architects add a much more contemporary feel.

So, the bright orange barriers are down, the high vis vests come off, the tools are packed up and back in the van and we have other projects to think about. I’m looking forward to coming back and just to people watch, seeing old people plonk down on to it with a sense of relief, kids using it as a climbing frame and others using it as a meeting and greeting place. For months it’s been our bench in our workshop, now it’s everyone else’s to love, hate or be indifferent about, but perhaps most importantly, just to have fun and sit on.

We are having our ‘creative launch’ on Wednesday 9th May at 2pm. Lots of creative types will hopefully turn up to wish it a happy future and get some fully populated sitting shots for the press. It’s also to help publicise the forthcoming Dorset Art Weeks festival, which we are of course participating in, it starts on May 26th and runs through until June 10th. Do come along if you can, there will be cake!

With 23 days to go it’s all coming up rather fast, but by reading what I was thinking and doing last time perhaps that can help me prepare a bit more, well maybe. I suspect I will still be doing labels as the first visitor walks in, just like last time. As well as the perspective from my venue I will try to get out and see as many other artists and makers as possible. Seems only right for me as the DVA chair of the trustees to do some ‘art miles’. If you want to see what we all got up to last time in 2010 and read the diary click here