1. art and entertainment

Eleanor Lakelin
Artist/maker in wood
Eleanor Lakelin is fast becoming one of Britain’s most accomplished artists making in wood.
Working exclusively with trees that have been felled in the British Isles, she combines highlyskilled, traditional craftsmanship with a free-form approach where pieces can be scorched,
bleached, microwaved or sandblasted to create vessels with a distinctly contemporary feel. A
member of Contemporary Applied Arts, Eleanor’s work is widely exhibited in established
galleries and high-end retail outlets throughout the UK, including Liberty and the New
Craftsmen, and is with collectors in North America and Europe.
Eleanor studied cabinet making at City and Islington College (1995-6) and London College of
Furniture/Guildhall University (1996-8) before embarking on a successful career designing and
making furniture and functional objects for both retail outlets and to public and private
commission. In 2008 she began turning wood on a lathe and carving to create both functional
objects and decorative vessels and forms. But it wasn’t until she won the Cockpit
Arts/Worshipful Company of Turners’ Award in 2011 and moved into a dedicated studio space at
Cockpit’s Deptford incubator that she was able to concentrate fully on this new direction. ‘I think
it’s fair to say that without the Turners’ Award, I would not have had the confidence to pursue
[turning and carving] full time,’ says Eleanor.
During her time at Cockpit Arts, Eleanor has focussed on developing this new body of work and
repositioning her business for art galleries, high-end retail outlets, collectors and commissions.
With one-to-one coaching from the Business Development Team, she has learnt how to present
and price her work for this new market, as well as develop her artist story. ‘The one-to-one
business advice has been crucial. It’s given me the confidence to apply for opportunities that I
didn’t even know existed and wouldn’t other wise have considered,’ says Eleanor. In 2012, just a
year after joining Cockpit Arts, Eleanor won the Jill Humphrey Prize, which she used to buy a
new lathe.
This kind of tailored business support has given Eleanor the space to think through her business
and continually reappraise her practice. ‘I’ve been offered so many great opportunities, it’s hard
to say no, so finding a life/work balance is still a work in progress,’ she says. ‘But I feel very
positive that with continuing support from the one-to-one sessions I will find a balance that works
for me. It’s a nice problem to have!’
The group training sessions run by the Business Development Team have also proved
enormously beneficial. ‘They’ve been fantastic for me,’ says Eleanor, ‘and continue
to be really useful as they help you refocus on an on-going basis.’ A recent
workshop on sales and negotiation was particularly useful. ‘It helped me to see
selling in a less negative way,’ she smiles. ‘I now understand it more in terms of
building a relationship with the buyer.’
Eleanor cites being part of the Cockpit community as ‘vastly important’ to her
creative development due to the ‘enthusiasm, influence and experience of the other studio
holders’ around her. ‘Creatively [having a studio at Cockpit] has allowed me to take risks and
develop ideas whilst working alongside other creative people in a supportive and exciting
environment.’
Cockpit Arts’ biannual Open Studios events have also proved hugely important to Eleanor’s
business. ‘Open Studios started out being my only market for this new body of work,’ she
explains. ‘It’s a really good place for people to come and see my work and feel part of the
process, and it remains an important way for me to connect with clients.’
In her second year at Cockpit, Eleanor’s turnover increased significantly and looks set to do the
same in year 3. ‘[If I hadn’t come to Cockpit Arts] there is no doubt that any development would
have been much slower,’ she says. ‘Many of the goals I wrote into my 5 year plan when I first
arrived have already been achieved in less than 3 years.’
2014 proved to be a phenomenal year for Eleanor. She was nominated for the Perrier-Jouët Arts
Salon Prize, represented by the Sarah Myerscough Gallery at COLLECT, invited to design an
Artisan Retreat at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and had work on display alongside some of
the UK’s top makers in wood at The Carving of the Wood exhibition at the Crafts Study Centre in
Farnham. ‘People are beginning to recognise my work,’ she says, ‘and as a result I am being
invited to take part in major exhibitions at galleries such as the Ruthin Craft Centre and Devon
Guild of Craftsmen.’ Liberty has also just commissioned her to make an exclusive range of
vessels to be launched in store this autumn.
This year is even busier with Eleanor’s involvement in more high profile exhibitions, including
'Sculptural 15' with the William Bennington Gallery at Coombe Trenchard , Collect with Sarah
Myerscough Gallery and 'Slow Turning' at the Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool.
A major step forward in Eleanor’s practice will be possible this year too, having just secured
funding from Arts Council England to invest in more specialised equipment. As always, Eleanor
will be in her studio at Cockpit Arts Deptford for Spring Open Studios which runs from 15 – 17
May 2015 but also exhibiting at Cockpit Holborn from 8 – 10 May.