Things are looking good for Darragh Hewat from Forest Innovations

For artist Darragh Hewat, it’s been a year of exploration and development in anticipation of the Blue Magpie Contemporary Craft Fair where he’s been awarded a spot this March. On a Sunday 5th March, he’ll be revealing his latest work and collaborative pieces including cyanotype clocks and his copper globe.
" Since joining farOpen last year my creativity and range of ideas has grown enormously. Things kicked off quite quickly for me this year with ideas flowing well, so I was enormously thrilled to be accepted by Blue Magpiefor their March Contemporary Craft Fair. As a newbie I’ve been given a stand for Sunday 5 March (but the event runs on the Saturday also) and so the pressure is on to make good on these new ideas. I’m particularly excited by the copper globe which I literally grew in the plating tank from just silver paint (real silver paint about £1,500 per litre!!) and copper wire. This is intended to become one of the mantles for my Thermomotor, and rotating and gleaming as it does in the light of the turning tealights, is something that really excites me. 
Another more bread and butter exercise has been copper and gold plating various real leaves, mounting and framing them. I like to choose leaves that have meaning to me in their form and also in their function in the natural world. 
I’ll also be taking some collaborative work with me to Blue Magpie in Malvern this March. The hand printed and handmade lamps which are a collaboration between Jane Jones, Sarah Delahoy and myself are a wonderful challenge to make but worth it when complete and turned on. Also coming with me will hopefully be a range of hand made cyanotype clocks, a collaboration between myself and Jane Jones, and looking very nice so far...
However, exciting as these multiple developments are, the expression that keeps running through my mind is “all play and no work makes Darragh a poor boy.” I’m hoping Blue Magpie will go some way to silencing that annoying voice! 
​Catch up with Darragh at the Blue Magpie Contemporary Craft Fair at Elmslea House, Malvern
4 & 5 March 2023
Click for more info