Issue 47 JUNE - Flipbook - Page 45
South Coast Studio Preserving
Red List Endangered Crafts in The
Art of Traditional Decorative Paint
Finishes & Techniques
In 2023 I was disappointed though not surprised to learn that the ancient skills of Traditional
Faux Marbling and Wood Graining had been placed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts, by
the Heritage Crafts Association.
For many years I have been aware of the lack of choices
and opportunities, for students, craftspeople and skilled
industry professionals, in receiving high quality training
in these ancient crafts.
So, what part could I play in addressing the situation?
When I turned 55, I decided it was time to embark on a
ten-year plan to establish an easily accessible collection
of courses and workshops in decorative paint techniques.
South Coast Studio was born, these courses would be
funded entirely through income from my already
established decorating and design business, Snobs Interiors
Limited and topped up through any income received
whilst running the courses and workshops. I already had
some previous teaching experience working in adult education, however running my own courses and workshops
from my studio by the sea in Hythe, Kent, has been a huge
and ongoing challenge and learning experience, and d
espite the difficulties caused by the covid outbreak in 2020,
I have managed to build a sustainable and accessible
business providing this much needed skills training asset.
Since 2018, I have tutored many students, from
homeowners and craft enthusiasts, to skilled professionals
from a wide ranging set of occupations and
disciplines.This has enabled me to collate data and
opinions from a knowledgeable and varied group of people and consequently, I have been able to tailor the
courses and workshops on offer to appeal to as wide an
audience as possible.
A significant proportion of students expressed an interest
in taking courses that had been accredited under the
CPD, Continuing Professional Development, scheme to
add to their curriculum vitae. Thanks to the support given
by Heritage Crafts, these accredited courses are now live
and available to book on the website, with new dates and
locations being added across the year. The process of having both me and the paint effects courses accredited was
not straightforward and involved many hours of work,
however, I believe that they offer a valuable resource for
those that require professional tutoring with the assurance
that I and the course material has been independently
scrutinised and verified for quality.
Has the project to accredit the courses been a success
so far?
Well only time will tell, but the feedback coming through
is positive.
