We meet an ace artisan and discover crafty wonderlands close to home...
I’m delighted to say that supercraft cruises.com has a packed year coming up. Our first sailing with Ambassador is imminent, followed by several crafty cruises for Saga. If you fancy three weeks of wonderful destinations combined with some of the best craft workshops at sea, there’s still time to book Saga’s ‘Ancient Cities of the Eastern Mediterranean’ cruise which sails on March 31st. We’d love you to join us!
Meet Supercrafter Jim Pilston
Jim Pilston’s unique creations are exuberant and daring, taking inspiration from the figures and faces that populate our legends, stories and imaginations. After studying Theatre Design and Illustration, he worked as a commercial illustrator for many years. His designs gradually began to transform into three-dimensional pieces, and he found himself exploring papier-mâché and mixed media. He produces figures and objects from a variety of found and recycled materials, including waste paper, packaging, unwanted paints, scrap wood and plastics, such as discarded estate agent signs.
Jim’s works of art are bold, colourful and playful, full of humour and mystery. His aim is to make something magical from the array of materials found in skips and bins. He is powerfully influenced by the stories and images of folklore, folk art and his West Country home, meaning that church carvings, old shop signs and toys all pop up in his work, as well as film and children’s TV characters from his Cotswold childhood in the 1970s. Check out Jim’s intriguing creations at @jimpilston on Instagram. He can also be found at heartofthetribe. com/portfolio_page/jim-pilston
This Month’s Crafty Centres
The places that most influence Jim are in the UK and are also some of my favourite crafty haunts! “I love the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, (now renamed the Young V&A and reopening in summer 2023) as it has an incredible collection of toys,” Jim tells me. “If I’m up in London I always try to visit it, along with the main V&A. Dennis Severs House, one of the best litt
