MAKER Q & A : Slow Made Goods
MAKER’S Q & A
Slow Made Goods
The gift of some carving tools prompted Ewen Brown, founder of the Norfolk based workshop Slow Made Goods, to start experimenting with wood. Now just a handful of years later, he is turning a living from it.
We posed 10 questions…
1 - Has working with wood always been your thing?
I started my early career as a painter/artist and to help fund the studio rent I worked for various art establishments, auction houses or art dealers. I spent some time freelancing as a print designer for fashion brands which I loved but struggled to pay the bills so eventually turned my attention to ecommerce. I didn’t arrive at wood until 6 or 7 years ago and it’s only in the last 3 years that I’ve been fortunate enough to make a living from it.
2 - What was your pathway to making?
I always kept my hand in some sort of creative side project whilst working in ecommerce, be it drawing or painting or some sort of collaboration. It wasn’t until we were expecting our son that I realised how challenging the time constraints would become so my partner bought me some carving tools and lime blanks to make spoons with and see if the process worked for me – it did and a few years ago on relocating to Norfolk I made the decision to make it my full-time profession.
3 - How much does where you live influence your work?
Massively. Norfolk is a beautiful county with big open skies and an abundance of diverse wildlife and nature. My parents lived on the broads (a beautiful network of navigable rivers and lakes) so when we moved here it instantly felt like home. Home is also where I work, we’re lucky to have garden space large enough to accommodate a workshop and it gives me everything I need for the foundations of the business – creative space, local materials in abundance, a fantastic community and my family close by. Norfolk has a rich history of brush makers too with historical references to at least 20 located in Norwich and plenty more in the county including the world-famous Briton Brush company in Wymondham. Contributing to the continuation of that tradition grounds my sense of place.
Ewen Brown in his Norfolk workshop
4 - Dawn till dusk, what does an average day look like?
I’m woken at 6.30am by my son and it’s straight into a procession of breakfast and chores before dropping him at school. On my way home I start mentally planning the day and then begin with low hanging tasks like sharpening or cleaning tools that I might use during the day or some basic planing or sanding to get me going, building up to detailed tasks that require more concentration and agility. Jodey and Sophie help me out a couple of days a week and on the days they’re in we usually sit and have lunch at the house and it’s always a joy hearing their news and catching up. That time is also spent emailing and messaging before heading back to the workshop. Afternoons are when I’m most energetic so anything that requires a little extra motivation or energy usually happens then and things never tend to be the same on any given day – although the work I do is quite repetitive or process orientated I diversify what I make so that it stays interesting. I practise honing new techniques or making new objects in the evenings. After my son has gone to bed and we’ve all had supper I often make the short journey to the River Bure and get out on the canoe, dusk on the river is a peaceful, magical time where the river comes alive with wildlife.
5 - What are you influences? What excites you professionally?
I get excited by mundane things, particularly functional objects! Everyday household objects that don’t get the love they deserve and seemingly have an air of disposability about them or something that can easily be replaced should it break. For as long as I can remember I used the same black plastic coffee scoop for my morning coffee, the bowl of the scoop carried the perfect amount of coffee. It’s these little gems that fuel my imagination and push me to make new functional objects. I go through fazes of influence, more object than person orientated, but someone I always go back to is Carl Aubock. His dust and table brush designs are as relevant now as they were 70 years ago.
6 - What is on your to-do list of dreams?
We’re looking to expand our working space soon and really excited about creating a dust free area where we can focus on designing, photographing, packing orders and socialising. I never expected to be earning a living from doing this let alone expanding a workspace, so it often feels like a dream!
7 - Do you have a most treasured possession?
A Yew and elm Windsor chair that has been passed down through generations of my family and now sits pride of place in my dining room. It belonged to my Mum who used to help with bristle making and always brings back happy memories.
8 - Highs and lows, what makes your pulse race?
Highs
finding the perfect edge on a piece of green turned wood with a freshly sharpened gouge – the stream of thin stringy shaving spraying out is the most satisfying thing in the world!
Breaking into a fresh piece of timber and finding beautiful wood grain.
Watching my son tightening all my workshop vices.
Finishing a batch of work, being satisfied with the quality and sending them off to new homes.
Learning new techniques.
Lows
Cleaning up the thin stringy bits of shaving.
Carving tool cuts. They don’t happen often but they’re inevitable and usually quite sore!
Equipment failure.
Untightening all the vices in my workshop after my son has tightened them all!
Tax return
9 - What two things couldn’t you do without?
My family and my glasses!
10 - If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
There are loads of places I still want to explore right here in Norfolk. I’ve sailed and paddled my way around a large portion of the Northern Broads and only recently ventured into the Southern Broads where I want to spend more time exploring. Further afield I would love to spend more time exploring Japan and study some of their traditional woodworking techniques.
