Artistry in Wood

Most Recent News Items as at November 2024

2024 International Marquetry Exhibition Gallery

Online Membership Applications & Renewals

Early National Exhibition Gallery Room 194

Can We Help? page 78

2024 International Marquetry Exhibition 'Others' Gallery' Page 2

2024 International Marquetry Exhibition Award Winner's Slide Show

Bricks, Walls, Tiles & Pebbles in Marquetry - DVD Review

Independent's Gallery room 20

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MEMBERSHIP OFFER NOW CARRIED ON INTO ITS 18th YEAR!

A Continuing Offer for 2024/5: Due to the success of our "2 for 1" new membership only offer introduced in 2006, we have decided to extend this offer throughout 2024. To take advantage of this offer become a NEW MEMBER of the Marquetry Society in 2024 and get your membership subscription for 2025 totally free!!

Yes, that's right, on becoming a new member of the Marquetry Society you will be entitled to receive the second year of your membership at a 100% discount for the whole of that second year!

It is a marvellous offer and is one we are sure that you will not want to miss.
To take advantage of this exceptional offer please select "Join Online" or make use of the "special" subscription form you will find on this web site.
For a short cut to either just click the appropriate link in the box on the right:

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"Join Online"

"subscription form"

Join Us As A New Member Online

You can now enrol as a new member of the Marquetry Society online and also pay your subscription (2 years subscription for the price of 1 for new memberships) online via our secure PayPal buttons.

This is a very convenient way to become a member of the Marquetry Society. No more tedious filling in paper forms and writing cheques and posting them off, it can all be done from the comfort of your computer keyboard and screen in just a few minutes.

We look forward to welcoming you as a new member of the Marquetry Society. Just click the link and select your geographical location >>>

Note: Established members can also renew their subscriptions by selecting the "Renew Subs" option on the selection page (it's first page that comes up when clicking the link on the right) and completing the online form and clicking the appropriate PayPal button for renewals.

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CHELMSFORD GROUP WEBSITE

Chelmsford Marquetry Group launched their new website with our September 2017 update. It was last updated with a recent 2024 update. (autumn)

You'll find loads of information about this very successful group in their web site. So, don't hold back, click the link and enjoy an online visit to the Chelmsford Marquetry Group.

For more information about the Chelmsford Group please click the link >>

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ERNIE IVES GALLERY

Ernie Ives was the editor of the Marquetarian magazine for over 30 years and was also a marquetarian of the highest grade..

Ernie not only made some of the best marquetry you will ever see, he also taught marquetry in his own workshops.

To see examples of Ernie's work, just click the link on the right to vist his online galleries - as we say with Richard Shellard's work below, you will certainly not be dissapointed>>

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2021 INTERNATIONAL MARQUETRY EXHIBITION
WEB OFFICER'S BOX BROWNIE VIEWS

Our 2021 International Marquetry Exhibition was a great success and attracted a great many visitors.

To see these 'Box Brownie View' photos of our 68th Exhibition and its wonderful location, just click the link on the right >>>

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INDEPENDENT'S CORNER

Breaking News: A new Independent Members secretary has now been appointed - he was introduced to you with the autumn website update. First though, he was introduced to our membership via our quarterly magazine The Marquetarian.

The Independent member's section of the Marquetry Society had, until fairly recently, operated under the help and guidance of long standing Marquetry Society member Clive Jones.

Clive had been very active on behalf of the Independents over many years, and we (your Executive Committee) thought it would be therefore be most appropriate to retain all of Clive's input to this website for the benefit of all Independent Members.

Clive added copious amounts of designs and line drawings to our online library for the use of all our membership. You can use any of these designs for your next marquetry project if you wish to. Click the name or title in your selected 'thumbnail' and you will be presented with an A4 sized PDF picture of your chosen subject which you can then print as normal, or if you choose, you can save the file and resize or print out from that saved file whenever you wish.

Clive also added a condensed version of Shao Nan Huang's excellent marquetry article from the Winter 2012 edition of the Marquetarian to your Indie's pages for you to enjoy. It is a really excellent read.

Just click any of the links on the right to to check out all things "Indie" or just to select a design for your next marquetry project - do enjoy >>

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2024 INTERNATIONAL MARQUETRY EXHIBITION GALLERY

Our International Marquetry Exhibition 2024 Gallery is currently available on this web site. Select your link to enjoy either a slide show of the award winning exhibits, or a leisurely wander through our gallery pages where you can examine each exhibit at your leisure in finer detail. >>

Our 2024 Gallery was added with the September 2024 update so that it coincided with the publication of our Autumn 2024 edition of The Marquetarian magazine. Enjoy. Our 2024 Gallery has been added to this website with our September update.

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Email for more info at:

peter@marquetry.org

or

if you are using Windows Mail
or Outlook Express, just
click the link below to
open a preaddressed
Email form:
"DVD offer"

"Artistic Considerations"

"A Beginners Guide"

"Geometric Marquetry DVD Preview"

"Alan Townsend Presents"

"Techniques & Tips"

 

"Bricks, Walls, Tiles and Pebbles in Marquetry"

OTHER ENTRIES GALLERY 2023/24

Our November update brings you 'Room 2' of our 2024 "Other Entries" gallery where exhibits, that unfortunately missed out on achieving an award at the recent National Exhibition, nonetheless still attain the chance of displaying their artistry and craftsmanship in their own special gallery.

This "Other Entries Gallery" follows on from the same highly successful gallery of the same name that we introduced a couple of years ago.

The 2023 exhibits will replace the 2021 exhibits on a month by month basis until all the rooms of the gallery have been changed. This method ensures that each exhibit gets to be displayed for at least a full year.

If any other rooms are required they will be updated to the 2023 entries on a pro rata basis as each update goes by. Therefore the July 2021 update saw Rooms 8-9-10 being added with the remaining 2020 entries on display. That particular July update in 2020 finally used up the last of the remaining 2019 National Exhibition entries.

As mentioned above, we now have rooms 9 and 10 added to this gallery. These rooms contain 12 entries each and they display the last entries from previous exhibitions.

Our November 2024 update brings you the next ten exhibits from the 'other entries' category from the 2024 International Marquetry Exhibition..

Click the links to visit 'Rooms 1 to 11' of the Other Entries Gallery >>>

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JUDGES RULES & GUIDELINES

We get asked quite often "what are the rules for making marquetry?" and "what do the judges look for when judging at our annual exhibitions?"

Well, to put your mind at rest and to show you exactly what the rules and guidelines are, we are publishing those rules here for you to read, print and digest to your complete satisfaction.

Just click the link on the right and you can read the very latest guidelines which are used by our judges at our International Exhibitions - even including this year's one! >>

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MARQUETRY IN IRAN

Iran is one of those countries so often in the news these days for mostly political issues; but politics is not one of those things we do here, ourselves we live in the more ethereal sphere of the wonderful world of marquetry.

Marquetry, no matter where it originates from, is a universal joy for all who are involved in the art, whether they are the makers or, just purely anyone at all who marvels at the beauty of a wonderfully produced picture created from nothing more than simple wood veneers as the prime artistic medium.

The art and craft of marquetry has been around since biblical times, and any country with a rich history of decorative art dating from those distant times is obviously going to have artistic traditions reflecting those very centuries of just such wonderful artistry.

Iran itself comes into that noble category of ancient art forms which have matured into a superbly crafted representation of the country's artistic lineage.

But don't just take our word for all of this, click the links and see for yourself >>>

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Current
&
Ongoing

NATIONAL EXHIBITION'S from 1976 ONWARDS

Our November 2024 update brings you another selection from National Exhibitions gone by. This latest selection comes from the 2016 National Marquetry Exhibition. The earliest colour pictures we feature in this Early National Marquetry Exhibition pages (or rooms) come from our 1976 Exhibition. Earlier exhibition photos are in monochrome and will appear elsewhere on our web site.

Some of the work will be familiar to many of you - and much of it will be distant memories, or even "new" in relative terms. Anyway, we hope you will enjoy this month's selections and wonder again at the superb work of yesteryear. Unfortunately, with the massive slide collection that these photos derive from, we are afraid to say that reference notes were not always included as to the work's titles or names of the Marquetarians who made the pieces.

Thanks are due to those kind people who recognised the pictures and sent in the correct information about the titles and makers of most of those 'temporarily titled' pictures. If anyone recognises one of those 'temporarily titled' works, especially if it is their own, could they contact us and supply us with those details so that we can attribute each work appropriately. Just a quick e-mail would be most helpful.

Do note that as from the December 2012 update, the selection menu at the bottom of each page from 51 onwards now has a single link back to the first 50 pages. We have done this because the page selection menu would have filled half of each page in time! We hope you find this helpful. Earlier this year we reached the 1,000 exhibits mark - that is certainly a lot of marquetry exhibits for you to enjoy! In fact there are around 1,500 marquetry exhibits here in this gallery for you to check out - as we say "enjoy your visit". There are over 140 gallery pages for you to visit!

With this many exhibits for you to study, you may find it valuable to note the steady changes in technique which materialise over the years. The changes are not overtly obvious, but they do help to bring marquetry up to the highest artistic standards possible at that time. When compared to today's marquetry you can see how marquetry has moved onto even higher inventive standards.

How long before we see marquetry displayed in the National Gallery? Now there's a wonderful thought!

We hope you find your visit to this gallery will be absorbing and interesting.

The November 2024 addition is labelled "2019-D" >>

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Ongoing

"WE'VE HAD THIS PICTURE FOR YEARS, CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT IT?"

(Plus further "BUCHSCHMID & GRETAUX INFORMATION")

This question is often put to our editorial team - and I'm pleased to say that most of the time we are able to come up with an appropriate answer to the query.

Even though we have extensive archives and abundant knowledge on all matters marquetry, sometimes we can get "caught out" when trying to identify the maker of an early and very individual piece.

For this reason we introduced our "Can You (We) Help?" page in 2007. This section of the web site has proved popular with our visitors, so for that reason we have expanded the facility.

We were very fortunate to have the help of Herr Otto Chlup for several years guiding us through the history and practices of the Buchschmid and Gretaux Wood Inlay Company. Otto was the owner of ABC Studios, Heidelberg for many years and was also the main agent for Buchschmid and Gretaux, so his wealth of knowledge on this company was exemplary. He was an enormous help to us.

Do note though, that the information we display on our pages are "as supplied" to us and do not constitute the Marquetry Society's own opinions on the subject. Such observations as we make are purely that, just observations and not guaranteed opinions from which to formulate a judgement by. If you are able to find better informed information on the B & G subject, please refer to that in preference where any confirmed accuracy is required. Nonetheless, it's another "well done" to everyone of you who are contributing to this now, rather unique resource. It is your input which is helping to make this section of the web site so very popular and useful to collectors of these beautiful Buchschmid & Gretaux pieces.

MEMORY LANE PAGE 17

In the 1950's and 60's marquetry kits were a very popular form of entry into the fascinating world of marquetry proper.

Generally those kits provided everything you needed in one box. The example we feature in our Memory Lane series is actually of a marquetry decorated fire-screen kit. Naturally this was quite a large kit, but it was not unwieldy - and it was very decorative of course!

Click the link on the right to see what the Parcel Post would have brought you in the heady days of the 1960's >>>

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HARROW GROUP WEB SITE

Harrow Marquetry Group launched their own web site with our June update.

You'll find loads of information about this very successful group in their web site. So, don't hold back, click the link and enjoy an online visit to the Harrow Marquetry Group.

For more information about the Harrow Group please click the link >>

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RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERS

We have rather neglected upgrading our Recommended Supplier's list this past year. With our December update, that oversight has been put to right.

The supplier's list now includes recommendations from our members in the USA. All the recommendations are made from personal dealings with the suppliers - and every one of them comes with the highest of praises!

Click the link and check out those suppliers for yourself >>>

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MARQUETRY COURSES

We are often quizzed about where to find Marquetry Courses which will teach you the techniques in a structured format.

Our usual reply is for the inquirer to consider joining a group, as can be found in our Clubs and Groups directory; but this does not suit everyone, and is often inconvienient for many people.

Therefore we have added a new Marquetry Courses directory to this web site. For a list of the latest marquetry courses. Click the link to view the directory >>>

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MARQUETRY KIT 'SELF' ASSEMBLY

We recently acquired a couple of marquetry kits from the early 1960's which were complete - even including the original tubes of unused glue!

We have assembled one of those marquetry kit pictures and photographed it at each stage. This has been made up into a slide show and is now available here by just clicking the link on the right.

Do take a look and enjoy a marquetry picture "assembling" itself!

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SUTTON COLDFIELD GROUP WEB SITE

The Sutton Coldfield Marquetry Group has started their own web site with our August update.

Visit their site and spend a wonderful time marvelling at their superb work in both pictures and applied marquetry.

Just click the link on the right to enter their web site >>>

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ST. ALBANS GROUP WEB SITE UPDATE

August brought lots of new additions to the St. Albans Group web site which we knew you were going to enjoy.

An Inter-Group competition was held recently at the St. Albans Group rooms - and a right good event it was too! Of course the main theme of the evening was the competition itself (and not just the huge feast they laid on for us!)

So, click the link on the right and check out the winners by visiting the 2023 Inter-Group Competition at the St. Albans Group web site >>>

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PLACES TO SEE MARQUETRY WHILE ON HOLIDAY

People often ask us if we know of any good places to visit and see some top quality marquetry while they are on holiday.

After a suggestion by Einar Solgaard in the latest Marquetarian, we have adopted Einar's idea and we are now including a directory of interesting places to see marquetry while on holiday. Click the link to view the directory >>>

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THE MARQUETARIAN CARTOONS

From the early 1960's up to the present date, the Marquetarian has always included a cartoon or two in its publication "The Marquetarian".

These cartoons are always marquetry based (somewhat loosely at times!) and always provide a chuckle for the readers.

It is now nearly fifty years since they first made an appearance in the Marquetarian - so, as a rather 'loose' celebration of that fact, we are bringing you an occasional series of Marquetarian cartoons.

Click the link and start chuckling >>>

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GLUE TUTORIAL

Now, to most of you the subject of glue may not seem very interesting, but, this tutorial is definitely something to be recommended.

Due to a nosey bit of "ear wigging" by your web master at an Executive Committee Meeting last year, an absorbing conversation between two marquetry luminaries on the subject of glue became compulsive listening.

The conversation was truly educational, so, not wishing to miss the opportunity, your web master admitted his 'crime' and asked one of the 'overheard' if they would repeat that conversation for the web site. Being the true gentleman that he is, he graciously agreed and made the whole conversation available to us.

Click the link on the right for a really interesting read >>>

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REBRIDGE GROUP MARQUETRY TUTORIALS

Our good friends at the Redbridge Marquetry Group have recently introduced a new series of marquetry tutorials to their web site.

These tutorials are wonderfully easy to follow and very instructive.

They tell us that they already have several more tutorials in the pipe line for adding to the 'tutorial's library' later on this year. For an initial sampler, check out the Windows Method tutorial by clicking the link on the right, we know you will enjoy it. >>>

Note: Don't forget to return back here once you've finished visiting the Redbridge Group web site!

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E-MAIL CONTACT DETAILS

If you have any questions you would like to ask us, or queries about anything contained in this web site why not send us an e-mail? To contact the Marquetry Society Web Site just click the e-mail link on the right which should open a pre-addressed e-mail form in your browser (if using Windows):

If however you are using an alternate operating system which doesn't present you with a pre-addressed e-mail form, then just copy and paste the following address into your "send to" box:

info@marquetry.org

or, if even that is not possible, then just type it in as seen above, thanks.

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