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OF THE

Q U E E N E L I Z A B E T H S C H O L A R S H I P T R U S T, I S S U E 1 9 , S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

SPECIAL EVENTS BOOST QEST FUNDS

Helping craftsmen and women of all ages to excel in their careers

INSIDE
NEWS FROM SCHOLARS NEW SCHOLARS ABOUT QEST 25 67 8

HRH The Earl of Wessex and Michael Skinner, President of the Royal Warrant Holders Windsor and Eton Association, at the Race Night HRH The Earl of Wessex helped 270 members of the Royal Warrant Holders Windsor and Eton Association and their guests to raise 36,500 for QEST Scholarships at a Race Night and Buffet Dinner. Organiser of the event, Michael Skinner, President of the Windsor and Eton Association, commented, This was the first fundraising event for QEST and we were delighted that guests included members from all four Royal Warrant Holders Associations. We were extremely grateful to HM The Queen for graciously allowing us to use the Riding School of the Royal Mews at Windsor for the occasion. I am delighted with the amount we have raised and very grateful to the Earl of Wessex for joining us for the evening. Later in the year a team of runners raised 2,800 for QEST when they took part in the inaugural Royal Parks Half Marathon. The 16 runners included representatives from QEST Trustees, RWHA staff, Warrant Holding companies, local Associations, the Royal Household, and organisations with links to the RWHA. The Marathon was organised by the Royal Parks Foundation, the charity for Londons Royal Parks, and 12,500 runners took part in the event. QEST plans to enter a team in the Marathon again this year. More details from claire@rwha.co.uk

Inside: Lollipop vase by Timothy Harris page 4

The QEST Half Marathon team

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Calligrapher Sally Mangum (2007) has completed a vellum panel incorporating calligraphy, illumination and heraldry, for Downside Abbey, near Bath. Sally explains the backround, They had received a letter from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, offering the Popes congratulations and blessing on the fourth centenary of Downside Abbey School, founded in 1606, and wanted this written out beautifully for display. The piece was inspired by illuminated Renaissance manuscripts from the Vatican. I stretched the vellum onto a 285 x 520mm board, and wrote the body of the letters in italic Humanist script. This was encased in a painted laurel leaf border, with Renaissance jewelled corners and modelled up shell gold illumination. The Arms of Downside Abbey and the Papal Arms featured on the upper and lower edges of the border. www.sallymangum.co.uk

Panel detail

Wall paintings conservator Lisa Shekede (1995) has been working on wall paintings in a monastery in the Troodos mountains in Cyprus. The paintings - of traditional pigments on lime plaster - date mainly from the 13th and early 15th centuries and depict a range of typical Cypriot subjects including episodes from the New Testament. They cover the walls, vault and pillars of Agios Herakleidios, the earliest of the three churches at the site. Lisa explains, This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the earliest structure dates back to the 11th century. The work is challenging because the paintings have been badly affected by smoke from candles, rain water infiltration and by inferior previous restorations. The team from the Courtauld Institute is currently concentrating on stabilising and cleaning the paintings. The conservation programme will continue until 2011 and is being undertaken in collaboration with the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and the Bishopric of Morphou, with substantial financial support from the A G Leventis Foundation. Lisa is also currently working on projects in China, Bhutan, Jordan, and Malta, as well as the UK.

Painter Stainer Melissa White (2007) has completed a set of Elizabethan painted cloths for a Grade II listed Elizabethan Old Hall in Norfolk. The linen wall hangings on all four walls of a bedroom are painted with a very rare antiquework multivine design which still survives in a house in Kent. Melissa explains, There was some detective work involved in replacing missing parts of the design that were damaged. The original design is very strong black and white antiquework but we mellowed it down a little to suit its setting and give it a well established look. I had to move to

a larger studio to work on this project and install a massive three by six metre wooden frame to stretch the linen for painting. The cloths fit neatly around all the architectural features in the bedroom two doors, large windows and a fireplace. We incorporated cartouches to go above each door and the client chose family mottoes to go in each - a 16th century fashion. This is certainly the first time the multivine design has been reproduced in its entirety and it promises to challenge many of our current preconceptions of Tudor interior decoration. www.fairlyte.co.uk

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Mosaic artist Gary Drostle (2006) has completed a floor mosaic in porcelain for Valentines Park in Ilford, Essex. The mosaic, which represents historic elements from the Parks history, is three metres in diameter. It was commissioned by Redbridge Council for Bishops Walk, as a focal point for the refurbishment of the north end of the park. Images in the mosaic include an East Indiaman ship representing one of the parks owners, Sir Charles Raymond, who made his fortune as a Captain with the East India Company. The bishops mitre represents Thomas Ken (died 1711) the nonjuring Bishop of Bath and Wells, who was reputed to have stayed at Valentines. The restored park will be officially opened on Valentines Day. www.drostle.com

Ceramicist Peter Ting (1997), who is consultant to Asprey in London, mounted a solo exhibition in Shanghai, China Reformed in the autumn. I used the opportunity to return to my Chinese roots by honouring the tradition and craftsmanship of Chinese porcelain while injecting each component with my own contemporary twist, he explains. The new collection was in three sections, each celebrating a different type of Chinese porcelain: Blanc de Chine (white porcelain produced since the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644), Western-influenced ornaments that represent the imperial Jingdezhen kilns, and largescale vases (pictured here). The vases were also exhibited at Peters one man show at Asprey.

Letterer and stonecarver Matt Caines (1999) was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship to spend six weeks on the Greek island of Tinos. The award was to enable him to reproduce classical marble carving to improve his sculptural techniques. Matt says, Tinos has a long history of marble carving and I had one-to-one tuition with Petros Dellatolas, who has worked on stone carving since he was a boy. During my stay I carved a high Hellenistic head of the goddess Hygia in Pentellicon marble. My QEST Scholarship upgraded my skills, particularly in working with Italian marble. Having been teaching for eight years, it was wonderful to work on different skills and in a different stone.
St Joseph's Hospice monolith

Matt teaches four stone carving classes a week at St Johns Church, Bethnal Green. Our students range from young people with no qualifications to OAPs and students from the Building Crafts College. As well as teaching them to use the tools, I encourage them to try direct carving, relief carving and some letter cutting. I try to make them aware of the history of sculpture and stonework from the Ancient Greeks onwards. Last summer I worked with young apprentices with no previous experience on four stone monoliths for the St Josephs Hospice courtyard garden which won a bronze medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The monoliths have now been moved to the Hospice for patients and visitors to enjoy. www.mattcaines.co.uk

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Glassmaker Timothy Harris (1991) has created two special pieces as tributes to the iconic designs of his father. Michael Harris was one of the most influential glass makers of the late 20th century and the founder of Mdina Glass in Malta (1968-72) and Isle of Wight Studio Glass from 1972 until his untimely death in 1994. Timothy has continued and developed his fathers tradition of creating distinctive designs and working with vibrant colours. He comments, I am carrying on my fathers belief in being innovative and creative with the material pushing it as far as possible, particularly with surface decoration. The new pieces were specially produced for the now annual collectors Studio Event held at Isle of Wight Glass last year. One is a Lollipop Vase, the other a bark vase entitled 'New Forest' (both illustrated here). The Lollipop Vase is the most recognisable of Michaels groundbreaking designs and Timothys 2008 version is one of a long line of interpretations he has created for Isle of Wight Glass. www.isleofwightstudioglass.co.uk

Whitby Jet Jeweller Jacqueline Cullen (2004) received an Arts Council Grant for a showcase installation at Londons Canary Wharf shopping mall when she showed Whitby jet jewellery in a sculptural way rather than using traditional jewellery display techniques. It was an opportunity to educate the public on Whitby jet. Jewellery created by Jacqueline will appear in 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince', due to be released this summer. It will be worn by Narcissa played by Helen McCrory. www.jacquelinecullen.com

Conservation student Jo Beney (2007), who is studying on a QEST funded degree course at the City & Guilds of London Art School, secured a three month internship at the Bayerische Schlsser Verwaltung, the organisation responsible for the upkeep and conservation of all state-owned palaces, castles, gardens and lakes in Bavaria. In the Restoration Centre, housed in the outbuildings of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Jo worked on a children's carriage dating from 1700 which was being conserved in preparation for loan to the V&A this spring. The project enabled Jo to learn a range of new techniques and spend time with experienced conservators and carvers from many different departments. Jo also helped to re-hang exhibition spaces, make behind-the-scenes visits and attend numerous talks and lectures. She comments, "My time at the BSV was inspirational, and the placement surpassed my expectations in every sense."

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Shoes by shoe designer Camilla Skovgaard (2006) are now being sold in Harvey Nichols of Knightsbridges Shoe Boutique. Saks 5th Avenue, who bought her first shoes after graduation in 2006, have also ordered her spring/summer 2009 collection. Camilla comments, I am still also creating shoes for British fashion house Matthew Williamson and the spring/summer 09 catwalk show in New York was our sixth season of collaboration. www.camillaskovgaard.com

Details of QEST Scholars can be found on the website www.qest.org.uk

IN BRIEF
Christmas cards designed and made by paper artist Cai Jia Eng (2008) were on sale in Fortnum and Masons Christmas Bazaar. www.entertheplant.com

Square Piano Restorer Ben Marks (2008) was given an award to buy tools by the National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies Wessex branch. He says, I have been able to buy a high quality set of hand forged chisels which have really helped my work.

Botanical illustrator Niki Simpson (2003) won a Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal in the photography section of the Great Autumn Show in Westminster for an exhibit of native plants. Pictured here is Honesty, one of the eight images included in the gold medal winning display. Niki was recently elected a Fellow of the RSA. www.nikisimpson.co.uk

New SCHOLARS
These Scholars will receive their awards at the Royal Warrant Holders Luncheon in London in June. Eleanor Bird, BA (28) Stained glass painter Eleanor runs her own business designing and making stained glass windows for churches and secular buildings. Her particular interest is church glass. Winning a 7,840 Scholarship means she can study on the MA in Glass course at the University of Sunderland. www.2birds.org

Cai Jia Eng, BSc (22) Paper craft artist Cai Jia creates intricate hand-made greetings cards and three-dimensional miniature models. Winning a 2,620 Scholarship means that Cai Jia can study at the University of the Arts in London on a one year Diploma in Art and Design, and take additional related modules. www.entertheplant.com

Simon Foulser, BA Hons MSc (32) Carpenter and joiner Simon, who gained a BA Hons in the History of Art and Architecture and an MSc in Timber Framed Building Conservation, is keen to specialise in repairing timber frame houses. Winning a 6,330 Scholarship enables him to attend specialist courses at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum.

Marina Hughes (39) Decorative artist and muralist Marina runs her own bespoke decoration and design service with a portfolio including wood graining, marbling, murals and gilding. Her 9,450 Scholarship means she can study European techniques of decorative painting with one of Frances leading experts. www.marinahughes.co.uk

Andrian Melka (36) Sculptor Andrian undertakes commissions from small bronzes to large public carvings in limestone, sandstone and marble. He has created works for Highgrove Estate and worked on sculptures for Doncaster Minster and Selby Abbey. Winning a 3,000 Scholarship helps Andrian to travel to Carrara to work in one of Italys leading marble workshops. www.melkasculpture.co.uk

Laura Mills, BA (25) Easel paintings conservator Laura recently completed a three year Postgraduate Diploma in easel painting conservation at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Her particular love is modern painting. Winning a 9,000 Scholarship means she can undertake an internship in the Conservation department at the Tate.

Martina Scott, BA Hons (39) Calligrapher Martina runs her own calligraphy business, producing work for exhibitions, certificates and invitations. She also teaches. Winning a 2,650 Scholarship means she can study on the Advanced Training Scheme run by the Society of Scribes and Illuminators and attend an international symposium.

Bethan Lloyd Worthington, BDes Hons (25) Ceramicist Bethan set up her own business in 2006 after graduating with first class honours and distinction in Three Dimensional Design. She designs and hand makes illustrated domestic tableware and wall pieces and has gained considerable critical acclaim. The 11,140 Scholarship enables her to study for an MA in Ceramics and Glass at the RCA. www.bethanlloydworthington.co.uk

QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOLARSHIPS

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) was established in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Warrant Holders Association and the 90th birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The Trust was set up with money given by members of the Association, which represents the 800 companies and individuals privileged to hold a Royal Warrant of Appointment to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, or The Prince of Wales. Scholarships ranging from 1,000 to 15,000 are awarded to fund further study, training and practical experience for craftsmen and women. Applicants must demonstrate they have already developed a high level of skill and are firmly committed to their craft or trade. There is no age limit but you must live and work in the UK. Full details and an application form can be found on our website: www.qest.org.uk or from the address shown left, enclosing an A4 self-addressed envelope with a 56p stamp. Application forms for Summer 2009 Scholarships must be received by 5 June 2009.

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust No 1 Buckingham Place, London SW1E 6HR Registered Charity No. 802557 General enquiries: Victoria Churchward Tel: 020 7828 2268 Fax: 020 7828 1668 Email: qest@rwha.co.uk Website: www.qest.org.uk Press enquiries: Shelley-Anne Claircourt Tel: 020 7854 1827 Email: info@pressoffice.co.uk

Did You Know?

Since 1991 QEST has given 1,215,000 to 191 craftsmen and women for further training and work experience

50 Scholars were over 40 when they won their award and 14 of those over 50

The youngest Scholar was 17

90 different crafts and conservation skills have been represented from Animation to Wooden Car Body Restoration

A third of all applicants are aged between 31 and 40

Twice as many women as men apply for Scholarships

W HO S W HO AT QE S T
Chairman: Richard Watling, John Walker & Sons Ltd Trustees: Alex Davis, Calor Gas Ltd, Jenifer Emery, Edward Goodyear Ltd, James Fraser, Hamilton & Inches Ltd, Bill Gunn, Pol Roger Ltd, Fiona Rae, Enameller, Tim Roupell, Daily Bread Ltd, Secretary: Richard Peck

www.jebensdesign.co.uk