Sussex has long been home to a large number of artists and makers; celebrated illustrator Aubrey Beardsley spent much of his short life in Brighton; William Blake called Felpham “the sweetest place on earth” and Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant’s “Bloomsbury set” made Charleston farmhouse near Lewes a place of literary and artistic pilgrimage.

Today, the county continues to attract and nurture creatives of all disciplines. Sussex Society looks at two organisations that showcase the work of some of our most talented designers and makers.

The Sussex Guild

The Sussex Guild was launched more than 40 years ago by a small group of craftspeople, with the notion of being “a community of mutually supporting, individual craftspeople”.

It now has around 100 professional designer-makers of fine contemporary and traditional craftwork producing work in areas including ceramics, jewellery, metal, printmaking and textiles.

A selection committee decides who will be accepted – members must pass a vigorous assessment on the basis of design, innovation and craftsmanship.

Their website lists details of many members and examples of their work and The Guild also organises a number of shows across East and West Sussex throughout the year in specially chosen venues ranging from country houses to places of artistic or historic interest.

The next show takes place on August 2–5 in Michelham Priory, Upper Dicker, from 10.30am – 5.30pm. For more information, visit www.sussexpast.co.uk.

The Guild also has a permanent base at Southover Grange in Lewes which is open 364 days of the year, from 10am – 5pm. In addition to the shop, there is an event room where lectures, exhibitions and workshops take place. This fulfils another of the Guild’s aims – to preserve and stimulate awareness and appreciation of crafts.

Find out more about the Sussex Guild at www.thesussexguild.co.uk.

Now we take a look at some of the Sussex Guild’s members:

Ceramics

Stephen and Caroline Atkinson-Jones, Bexhill

The couple have been designing and making ceramics for 24 years and have recently been developing their beautiful lusterware.

The fusion of precious metals on to porcelain, lustreware is fired numerous times to form intricate patterns and textures.

They have produced work for Wedgwood, Rosenthal and Midwinter and worked on commissions for clients including the late Anita Roddick and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Mohamed Hamid, Lewes

Hamid’s hand-thrown, brush-decorated ceramics are inspired by Islamic art, Continental Majolica and Dutch Delftware. He works and holds classes at his Star Pottery in Fisher Street, Lewes, specialising in limited editions and private commissions that include inscribed bowls and plates.

John Warren, Eastbourne

Warren’s “torso” planters, wearing everything from a string vest to a corset, are a lively addition to any garden. John The Potter, as he calls himself, is also known for his sundials, mugs and bowls. A graduate of Loughborough College of Art and Design and latterly a teacher at Eastbourne College of Art and Design, he says: “I get most satisfaction from my work when the objects are used and handled as a natural accessory of life.

I certainly do not think I am precious about my work, and love to have a problem to solve.”

Jewellery and Silversmithing

Silvane Frouin, Brighton

A French jewellery designer and maker, Frouin has recently moved to Brighton. Taking inspiration from nature, childhood and graphic design, her whimsical and enchanting pieces are handmade from wood, natural pearls and enamel and include little boats floating on silver chains, dancing dolls and rings that feature 3D trains pulling out of a tunnel.

She says: “Drawing was my first passion so as a jewellery designer I naturally give a figurative style to my designs.

"I like to make pieces of jewellery which are easy to wear for any occasion: accessories which add a funky touch to a smart dress or a hint of elegance to a casual dress.

"I often use iconographies which bring back childhood and make people dream.”

Jinks McGrath, Streat, near Ditchling

McGrath is a designer jeweller, teacher and author who runs classes from her workshop in Sussex and also teaches in Thailand, Mexico and Afghanistan – all places that have influenced her designs.

Working in all the precious metals and enamels, her pieces, which range from delicate, candy-coloured jewelled necklaces to stylish, chunky gold rings, are usually created as one-offs and to commission.

She has written six books about jewellery making and enamelling; her latest, Jewellery Making A Complete Course For Beginners was published in 2007. She has exhibited her jewellery widely, including Goldsmiths Fair, Dazzle, Art in Action and Glyndebourne.

Lorraine Gibby, Angmering

Gibby’s striking designs are created using methods such as lino-printing and screen-printing, to build up layers of colour and pattern on anodized aluminium, which she then combines with more traditional materials including precious metals, stones and textiles. Take a look at her beautiful patterned rings and dazzling seed-pod necklaces by appointment at Mettle Studios, Roundstone Bypass.

Textiles

Philippa Lucas, Clapham

Featuring delicate butterflies and elegant sprigs of blossom, Lucas works directly from observational drawing to create silk scarves, cushions and throws from silk, linen and wool that is hand-dyed and then printed using silk-screen techniques. Detail is then added with machine and hand embroidery, crystals and beds to create stylish and luxurious homewares and fashion.

Bronwen Cunningham, Petworth

Cunningham’s unusual jackets, cushions and scarves are made using a diverse palette of silks. She likes to contrast not only colours but also textures, working with more than 300 different silks all cut and pieced in geometric shapes. The combination of shiny, matt and reflective surfaces gives her work a startling richness that is at times reminiscent of autumn leaves and at times ceramic tiling.

Maker’s Eye

Makers’ Eye is an online gallery showcasing designs from 50 of the UK’s best designer makers, including a large number from Sussex. It collates the work of leading names so that, instead of trawling the internet for hours, those looking for handmade furniture can find them all on one site. The site features established makers such as John Makepeace and Fred Baier, alongside up-and-coming designers. It aims to make handmade furniture and contemporary design accessible to all.

Visit www.makerseye.co.uk for more details.

Alun Heslop, Haywards Heath Heslop specialises in sculptural seating, with a particular focus on anthropomorphic forms. After gaining an honours degree in fine art at the University of Brighton, he went on to take a diploma in spatial design and travelled around Switzerland working as a craftsman and artist.

On returning to Sussex, he began creating a range of simple seats and site-specific installations from his Chaircreative workshop. The most famous of these is the Sleeping Dragon which won a Wood Award in 2008. Many of his designs are named after the creatures they represent, and his love of nature and the environment can be seen in every piece. Alun’s pieces have appeared in London’s V & A Museum and the Saatchi Gallery.

Wales & Wales, Lewes

This husband and wife duo makes beguiling pieces in wood from their workshop in Muddles Green, Chiddingly. Since launching in 1980 they have gained a reputation for timeless, intelligent design and have been commissioned to work on projects for clients that include architects, manufacturers and retailers.

Their work is characterised by a robust, simple elegance rooted in a pragmatic understanding of materials and processes. They are best known for a signature style known as the “Stripe Series”, comprising pieces made with various shades and types of wood. Their radical work is displayed in the V & A and Fitzwilliam Museums.

Edward Johnson, Portslade

From the beautiful “birds-in-flight”

design of his nesting tables “Ed, Edd & Eddy” to “Volumptuous”, a tactile, dimpled oak sideboard, Edward Johnson specialises in work “you want to touch and stroke, as well as gaze upon”.

Client Paul Boateng, the Rt Hon The Lord Boateng of Akyem and Wembley, describes Johnson as one of “a new generation of young British designers who are demonstrating what a fertile ground Britain continues to be for innovation and excellence in design”.

His Portslade workshop, EJ Bespoke Furniture, specialises in designing and making luxury bespoke furniture and art, from amazing jewellery boxes to dining tables and interior room schemes.

Marc Fish, Newhaven

Fish attempts to blur the boundaries between furniture, art, design and sculpture with his contemporary cabinets. Employing a mix of traditional skills and modern design, his work has achieved international acclaim.

Last year he was awarded The Claxton Stevens Award, the highest accolade given by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, while L’Orchidee, completed in 2010, was awarded both a Guild Mark and the Claxton Stevens Award. His work is highly collectable due to the limited nature of the signature series – only one design is produced each year from the Robinson House Studio in Newhaven.

Brendan Devitt-Spooner, Angmering

Outside Wood Designs Studios in Angmering is a large area devoted to timber. Trees sawn into planks air-dry here before being put in a kiln to fully dry. Using time-honoured crafts, Brendan Devitt-Spooner will then turn them into solid wood furniture that he hopes will give owners a lifetime of pleasure.

“The range of work undertaken is varied as befits a bespoke maker,” he explains. “Whether I’m designing a small coffee table or large room scheme, the same attention to detail is executed on all commissions.”

One of the services he offers is that of turning a client’s tree into a piece of furniture. Devitt-Spooner has the facilities for collecting the butt, and with the use of a local sawmill, converting it into planks.

At present, he is drying oak, ash, yew, walnut, beech, cherry, sweet chestnut and laburnum. He has been designing furniture for more than ten years and was recently awarded membership to the Society Of Designer Craftsmen.