The Value of Community: Meeting Colin Norgate
If you’ve ever spent a few days standing behind a stall at a craft fair, you’ll know it can be a bit of an endurance test. Between the early starts, the long hours on your feet and the quiet moments before the doors open, what really keeps you going is the community. It’s a rare chance to be around like-minded people who actually understand the passion of making things by hand.
One of the greatest rewards of these shows has been some of the friendships forged in the aisles. One such maker, who has become a very good friend over the years, is Colin Norgate. Colin is a professional designer-maker based just outside Petersfield in Hampshire, and his work is a brilliant example of what happens when you combine traditional skills with a modern eye. You can see his full range of work at www.colinnorgate.co.uk.
Space and Fluidity: Lattice Furniture
One of the most distinctive elements of Colin’s portfolio is his signature range of lattice furniture and it is always much admired at the shows
and events.
Lattice work within furniture gives an aspect of space and fluidity and is a real test of patience and precision. Previous examples of these pieces have included seating, side tables, luggage holders and cabinet doors to name a few.
It involves creating open-work patterns—often in cabinet doors or decorative panels—that requires some very carefully thought out intricate joinery. But it isn’t just about making something look good; it is also about the structural integrity of the piece. When you look at his lattice cabinets, you see a play of light and shadow that gives the wood a sense of weightlessness.
Most of Colin’s lattice pieces use a combination of timbers with some even having been made using timber from a client’s garden.
Contemporary Coloured and Sculptural Woodturning
While a lot of woodturning is traditional — focusing purely on natural wood grains and tones — Colin isn’t afraid to experiment. His coloured and sculptural woodturning is a great example of this.
The wood turned coloured range, in particular the more sculptural work, is Colin’s second range of his signature work developed in the late 1990’s.
These pieces always grab people’s attention when they walk past his stand. Colin has a real gift when it comes to timber selection, always knowing when a certain grain pattern will look at its best when finished.
He uses mainly open grained timber for his coloured work which, when finished, has an appearance like ceramic or stone.
A humble wooden bowl turned into a modern statement piece that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end gallery or a contemporary home. It is this balance of heritage techniques and modern aesthetic that makes his work so recognisable.
Teaching the Craft: Woodturning Courses
Beyond just making beautiful pieces, as an RPT member (Register of Professional Turners), Colin is also big on sharing what he knows. For anyone who has ever fancied having a go at the lathe themselves, Colin has held woodturning courses from his workshop in Langrish since 2006.
With a maximum of two attendees on each course – you have his attention to learn to your requirements and at your own pace.
Whether you are a complete beginner who has never touched a woodturning chisel before or someone who has a bit of experience and wants to improve and refine certain techniques, his courses are a fantastic way to learn. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of choosing a piece of timber and then turning it into a finished bowl under his guidance.
It’s a brilliant way to disconnect from the digital world for a little while and reconnect with the tactile reality of making.
Community: Supporting Independent Makers
The making community is full of talented people, but it’s the ones who are genuinely passionate and helpful — like Colin — who make the community what it is. If you’re looking for a unique commission, a special gift, or you’d like to try out a new skill, I can’t recommend him enough.
The next time you’re at a show, keep an eye out for his name and search out his stand to take a look at his signature pieces and also his latest creations or commissions.
Colin lives with a hidden disability – Landau Kleffner Syndrome, this can affect his comprehension of speech, especially at a longer event. If he seems a little quiet on occasion, his timeline boards that he displays will help with more information about this.
Colin is someone that I always look forward to seeing and socialising with at events. It’s great to have someone there to talk things through, to swap ideas and ask for advice and he’s someone that I’m proud to call a friend.