Phil Jackson, aka Beamers Designs, has worked in the creative industries for over three decades using traditional fretwork techniques. Based in rural Herefordshire, Phil produces a wide variety of animal-inspired gifts and oak domestic ware including pot stands (trivets), coasters and serving platters.
We learnt more about Phil and his creative process in our interview with him below.
My name is Phil Jackson and I run Beamers Designs. I originally trained as a special needs teacher but had always been keen on making things and experimented with various craft activities whilst still teaching. Forty years ago after acquiring a fretsaw and testing local craft markets, I decided to become a full-time maker.
I have been living in Herefordshire for 36 years, having moved from Gloucestershire where we ran a small British handmade gallery.
My work (designed by my partner Andrea) is inspired by our beautiful natural surroundings and its flora and fauna. We use repurposed timber so it is constrained by the size and flaws of the wood we have to hand.
When I am not creating, I play fiddle and banjo in various local Irish sessions, as well as in a local ceilidh band.
My current favourite piece is a fairly recent Kingfisher design (Iapetus currently sell this as a pot stand). It’s a detailed design anyway (bearing in mind it is all hand cut and the blade has to be re threaded for each new part of the design), but trying to catch the essence of such a beautiful and colourful bird in oak was quite a task.
The most challenging aspect of my work recently is keeping up with demand. There seems to be a real appreciation for all things hand made and British at the moment.
My advice to other makers is basically hard work and lots of it, listen to your customers and be prepared to be wrong.
Inspirational artists would be the wildlife print maker Robert Gillmor (and other printmakers such as Tom Frost and Angela Harding) who are able to distil their designs to their apparently simplest form whilst retaining the artist’s individual style. Other inspirational artists are automata makers such as Paul Spooner and the ceramicist John Maltby whose work is technically brilliant but retains its playful humour. We have made a few simple automata and intend to do more.
From left to right; Robert Gillmor, Angela Harding, and Paul Spooner.
Simple. Functional. Sustainable.
We are currently working through customer requests. Our new designs are often customer led. We have also been raising money for Ukrainian refugees with a special Peace Dove trivet which eventually we’ll adapt and add to our standard range.
You can see our full collection of work from Beamers Designs here...