Peter Archer, woodturner

Naomi Jones finds out what inspires woodturner Peter Archer to create his beautiful vessels.

Can you tell us about your pieces?
My work involves a combination of woodturning, carving and colouring to produce bowls and hollow vessels; I use sustainable temperate hardwoods – principally sycamore because it carves, stains and turns exceptionally well. Each piece is unique but the ideas for any particular one tend to generate inspiration for further work.

Have you always been creative?
Yes, I have; I love creating things, and also finding interesting solutions to the technical problems associated with making. I enjoy music and I’m a keen flute player, too, and mainly play classical music with a violinist.

Did you study art?
I went to Brighton College to study fine art; when I left I became a carpenter/joiner and remained so for about 20 years. And then in the mid-1990s I switched to becoming a full-time turner.

What inspires your designs?
I find natural phenomena inspirational: colours, patterns and textures; it’s amazing how something exquisite can be born out of powerful or even destructive processes, like volcanic eruptions, supernovae or – on a smaller scale – woodworm tracks in wood. I find it very interesting that the slightest difference in the application of texture or the positioning of a mark can make one thing beautiful and another ugly.

Where is your studio?
My workshop is in Ditchling, East Sussex, and is part of a complex of craft studios; being among other full-time makers gives plenty of opportunity for interaction and definitely encourages productivity. Ditchling has a long history of craftsmanship – most famously, sculptor and designer Eric Gill, of the Arts & Crafts Movement, lived and worked here for many years in the early 1900s.

Which creation are you most proud of?
I’m really pleased with the commissions I’ve received through Contemporary Applied Arts: producing a series of turned and carved bowls for the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards in 2005; and a large blue stained bowl for the Place Prize for Contemporary Dance in 2008.

Who do you most admire in the arts and crafts world?
I do appreciate Bert Marsh, a fellow woodturner who has great experience and achievement – for his craftsmanship, his integrity and his notable generosity.

If you could no longer turn wood, what do you think you’d do?
I’d probably go back to where I started: painting.

Do you have any advice for those who want to be more creative?
I think people are naturally inventive, so I’d say don’t be frightened of trying things out because the act of working and making in itself encourages ideas to flow; sitting waiting for inspiration to strike just doesn’t work.

For more information, call 07767 377926 or visit turned-wood.co.uk. Peter’s work can also be seen at Contemporary Applied Arts in London (caa.org.uk).

FEATURE NAOMI JONES
Featured in the September 2009 issue of Period Living