Interview with hobby leather craftsman, Tim.

How and when did you become interested in leatherwork?

I was given my fathers leatherwork kit a few years ago and was intrigued by pieces he had made and just what you could do with leather.

And what attracted you to your craft?

I was in need of a hobby to get away from the pressures of the university degree I was doing at the time, it made a good break from study. The variety of things that you can do with leather was fascinating; you can carve it, stitch it together, stain it with colour and even sculpt it. I had never considered myself a creative or arty person but I found something I could express myself with.

What are you working on now?

Well I haven’t had time for a while but I have a few projects I want to get started. One is a chessboard made with carved panels. Another is a case for my partner who plays a playing game, somewhere for her to store dice, pencils and figurines. I also plan on doing a large pictorial carving of a bush scene.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I like Celtic art and fantasy images so when I am thinking of a piece I search online for these types of designs then alter them to suit. There are some fonts I have found online before that have great patterns for carving. For the pictorial carving I have been looking at the paintings of Hans Heyson.

Do you have a favourite piece?

My large folder with the dragons that I made for uni, my partner takes it to her role-playing at the moment. It has a foolscap ring binder fitting in it to hold loose-leaf paper or plastic sleeves.

What was the most difficult piece you have created? Why?

The same folder because the three dimensional effects and shading I wanted on the dragon involved a lot of skills I hadn’t perfected.

What else do you like to do aside from your craft?

It’s my only real hobby; my work doesn’t give me a lot of spare time. Unless I count working out at the gym but I don’t know if I exactly like that, it’s just something I feel I have to do.

What is you favourite part of leatherwork?

I love being able to achieve a sense of dimension with carving and shading. It’s great to take a two-dimensional image and make it come to life.

Is there an active group of leatherworkers where you live?

There doesn’t seem to be, I have looked at the local craft markets and there are a couple but they mostly seem to use stamps to create the designs so I am not really interested.

How did you go about learning how to work with leather?

I taught myself using the old books that were with my Dads tools and stuff. It was mainly trial and error, some wasted leather.

Have you done any courses or classes?

No, I don’t think there are any in my area.

Is there something that you do differently to other people in your craft?

No, at least not yet. And it’s hard to have an original idea with anything these days. My partner used to be a potter though and she wants work with me doing leather sculptures one day so maybe then we will break new ground.

Was there anything that you had a particular trouble with when you started?

Again probably the carving, things like keeping depth and width of carves consistent where there they need to be.

What kind of workspace do you have?

At present I have no workspace, when I want to do some work I have to pull out all my boxes and set up on the kitchen table or on the patio. This is why I don’t do as much lately, I need to correct and perhaps put a table in our office with the computers.

Do you plan to make this a business or keep it as a hobby?

I doubt this will ever be more than a hobby mostly because it is hard to charge what you should for the time that goes into a piece. I bet most craftspeople have this issue.

Do you think if it became a business you would stop loving it?

Yes I think that is a possibility. I used to love to cook a lot and people said I should be a chef but I knew then I would hate it. I think it’s a case of the grass being greener… any job will eventually become just that- a J.O.B.

Do you enter any competitions, shows or exhibitions?

No, in fact I have never even thought of it.

What are some of the tools you use the most?

Carving tools, stamps, hole punch, a swivel cutter and a wooden mallet. The stamps I use aren’t those large decorative ones but more just small textures I use for shading. I was lucky to be given such a large set of tools, it has everything I need and these tools can be quite expensive.

How long does it take to make a folder or book cover like the dragon one?

If I had to add up the hours it would be maybe 20 or so. But like anything the more practice you have had the faster it gets.

Where do you buy supplies? A local store or do you order them?

There are no local stores and there seems to be no websites that sell online, except for ebay where I have started finding leather occasionally. Other than that I get my supplies in Brisbane, which is an hour away, so it’s more when I am there for other reasons.

What are the images we have here?

The folder that we have been talking about and a close up of the detail on the dragon. And the other is a tobacco pouch and a inhaler cover I made. They look a bit strange together in one picture but hey.... Then there is the detail from the pouch, some Celtic knotwork. The inhaler has celtic knots too but you can't see them in the image.

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