Since then, Cockpit’s reputation has grown, and it is now the destination for makers starting their practice. To secure a coveted studio space at Cockpit, artists must apply by providing a portfolio of their current work, a statement describing their vision for evolving their work, and a business plan. Cockpit reviews the proposals and, in many cases, refers potential candidates to charitable organizations and/or guilds willing to provide funding for purchasing tools or subsidizing rent.
Once a maker is accepted to Cockpit they receive a studio space at a discounted rate, are assigned a business coach, and can attend a variety of classes aimed at helping makers succeed. Cockpit Studio’s support also includes notable promotion. Makers are featured on the impressive Cockpit Studio website and at the organization’s twice yearly Open Studios event, where the public is invited to visit the makers at work in their studio and to purchase their work.
There are 150 makers who have a workspace at Cockpit Studios. We chose to profile two artisans because each in their own way is advancing a storied craft tradition.
Clunie Fretton
Clunie is a classically trained sculptor, carver, and gilder who is a member of the joinery and sealers livery company. She learned her craft at the City & Guilds of London Art School, one of the few institutions where she could pursue training for such a career. At the conclusion of her three-year program, Clunie was awarded a degree with Distinction in Ornamental Woodcarving & Gilding and served as the Carving Fellow at City & Guilds of London Art School for the year 2015-2016. She has been awarded the Journeyman Carver Certificate under the Master Certificate scheme (which recognizes excellence in craftsmanship), the Taylor Pearce Drawing Prize for Carving and Conservation, the Anthony and Margaret Wood Marketing Bursary of the Society of Heraldic Arts, and, in 2019, Clunie was accepted to Cockpit, receiving the Newby Trust Award which helped finance her studio space.
Because of her determination and effort to market her skills to an audience who appreciates and understands her work, Clunie has been very successful in securing a wide range of interesting commissions. She has carved a coat of arms for two private clients. (See photos) The Georgian Society – a organization dedicated to preserving and promoting buildings and interiors from the Georgian era (1700-1840) – also chose Clunie as a participant in an exhibition titled Splendor!, featuring the work of 40 makers and artisans all skilled in restoration. And for another client who wanted a statement piece for the entry to his country estate, Clunie carved and then cast in bronze an eagle with a three-meter wingspan.
But it was her most recent project reproducing a carved wood cravat for the Grinling Gibbons Society tercentenary celebration that caught our eye. (Watch the following video: How Was it Made, courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum.)
We met Clunie at her studio space at the Cockpit yard where she sat at her worktable surrounded by an array of specialty carving tools, a large carved cast of a lion, and random hunks of wood. We asked her, "What are you working on?” “A book about carving,” she said casually. After a bit of needling, she provided more detail. Because of her unique skill set
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