Introducing Frankie from Spoon Gal. Where every item is handmade!! From her home in Middle Pocket, NSW (Bundjalung country in Northern NSW) Frankie makes beautiful, functional objects using reclaimed and sustainable timbers.
Find out why Frankie started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
I primarily carve wooden spoons and other functional and pretty wooden items. When making spoons, I start with a chunk of timber and cut out the rough shape using a bandsaw. I then use a variety of hand tools including draw knives, bent gouges, hook knives and sloyd knives to hollow out the bowl shape of the spoon and then continue to remove material until the spoon emerges!
My other wooden products originally came about because I was unwilling to put my spoon offcuts on the fire. I make bud vases, flower bars, magnetic test tube vases, hanging sculptures and heaps more, now including bangles. These are made using a variety of power and hand tools depending on the vibe of the piece, the timber and the day.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I love to make things, and over the years have worked with a variety of different mediums. About six years ago I stumbled into the purely addictive world of spoon carving. The absolute meditation of carving at that first workshop was something that just stuck in my brain, and after about a year of ruminating about it, I ordered my first knives (you really only need 2-3 to start!); secured some timber spoon blanks from a friend, and away I went.
It has definitely been an evolutionary process. From the delight of discovering the unlimited variety of shapes, sizes and timbers of spoons I can create, to the glee of finding functional forms for the offcuts, the journey so far has been supremely satisfying.
And don't get me started on the finishing! I love adding detail to handles, and can often be found hunched over the magnifying glass with the pyro tool or the chip carving knife!
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
Being in nature is supremely inspirational. Sometimes the shape of a leaf can inspire a shape in a spoon, or the way the light is hitting a branch can spark a thought on a new use for that branch. I am also constantly inspired by my customers and enquiries online requesting things I have never imagined, with some of these turning into regulars.
I have recently been loving including different metals in my sculptures like copper and brass, and am always inspired by the evolution of this craft. I am inspired by all the pretty timber curls created in the process of carving - and for a long time was storing up all those cute curls for some unknown purpose (they now go into the composting toilet).
I love making curves and forms that are a bit unusual too.
The main thing that I find inspiring about carving spoons is that you are creating something that has the sole purpose of nourishing someone else, which is just such a lovely intention.
Where did you learn your craft?
I learned to carve spoons by doing a few workshops held by a local carver in the area, and loads of practice in between. Carving really is a skill rather than a talent, so anyone can do it.
I have a few books I refer to for chip carved finishes, and Youtube is great if there is a particular technique I need to learn (joinery for example). I am inherently a woodworker who really doesn't know anything much about traditional woodworking
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
For me, making with my hands keeps me grounded and connected to our planet. And I find making with timber and natural materials gives me that extra level of connection. I feel in this current pace of busyness and hustle, we can all do with connecting back to nature whenever and wherever we can. And if someone can experience even a little bit of that just by using something that is handmade, that will make a positive difference to their day. And isn't that what it's all about!
Frankie is a much loved member of the Madeit Collective, posting regularly in our Facebook Group ~ The Handmade Marketplace of Australia ~ and sharing her new creations as they are released. If you haven't connected with Spoon Gal , make sure you join our FB Group and say hi !
