Mike Poole of Tillerman Beads is our ‘Featured British Lampwork Artist’ for the next two weeks. To view the other artists who participate in the British Lampwork group, check the links to the right.
Mike Poole has been making beads for over seven years, after having been introduced to lampwork by his wife Su who had purchased some lampwork beads from a couple of American beadmakers. A shed, a HotHead and a few sticks of glass later, and there was no question that beadmaking would become a major part of his life.
Having taught art for 30 years, beadmaking was simply another way of expressing his artistic skills. In addition to teaching at his studio, which is equipped with five torching stations fitted with Minor torches, Mike has taught beadmaking at various venues, including travelling to Ireland to teach at the lovely Beadventures studio located on the west coast near Mulranney. Other venues he has taught at include Pearson’s Glass in Liverpool, Baroque Glass in Nailsworth and does an annual demonstration/lesson at Nottingham University for the post-grad students of the Archaeology Department.
Other venues where he has demonstrated beadmaking are the National Museum of Wales – Cardiff and St Fagans Museum as part ‘The National Archaeology Week’ . His historic reproduction beads are available at various sites, including the shop in the National Museum of Wales and the Jorvik Viking Museum in York.
He has taught beadmaking at his studio to a number of beadmakers here in the UK as well as students who have travelled to the UK to study with him. Mike works with a Minor torch in his studio which is located in a converted cotton mill in the Calderdale. Known for his precise beads layered with dots and more dots, Mike has studied with Michael Barley at Mulranny.
Mike and his wife and son live aboard a narrow boat on the Rochdale Canal. Before beadmaking took over their lives, they travelled extensively along the canal system, from Manchester to London and Liverpool to Leeds, but their travels now are generally to bead fairs or other venues where his work is on display.
See Mike’s work at www.tillerman.co.uk and www.mancunium.co.uk