Gerald is a well-established professional carver, who remains as devoted as ever to his craft. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing, as he tells Catherine Kielthy
Pirates, Prince Charles, Pret A Manger. What do they all have in common, apart from the obvious alliteration? Gerald Adams. The Norwich-born carver, who set up his own business back in 1986, certainly has an intriguing roll call of commissions, but the demands of working to client deadlines year in, year out, have perhaps given him a slightly different perspective on the craft he so loves. ‘Working always on commission, for the trade, [with your] work going all round the world means long hours, while meeting harsh deadlines is very stressful,’ he reveals. ‘And there is also the loneliness of working on your own eight hours a day, rarely getting out of the workshop.’
At one point, Gerald trained and employed three people to help him in the workshop, but while this meant that a tremendous amount of work was produced, it presented him with another set of problems to be solved. ‘I ended up spending most of my day dealing with clients, chasing up money, or doing the designing and quality control. ‘After about 15 years of this [set-up], I found I wasn’t enjoying my carving any more; it was just a way of turning stuff around as quickly and as cost effectively as possible.
‘Then, one of my employees said to me one day: “I really enjoy working here. I come in, work on all these amazing things and go home and forget all about it.” I thought if only I could do that! So I went back to working on my own, became much tougher about which jobs I took on and started enjoying carving again.’ The switch in direction also gave Gerald the time to achieve his ambition of setting up some teaching courses to pass on his skills.
Traditional style
His own route into carving was rather meandering. His creative side first expressed itself at Exeter Art College in the early 1970s, with his ambition to be a painter. He was also a folk musician whose tastes for expensive instruments, such as the hurdy-gurdy, far outstripped his income. Undeterred, he taught himself to make and repair musical instruments, even managing to scrape a living. When a workshop became available in his native Norfolk, however, he returned to his roots and helped to set up a craft gallery.
For a couple of years he also had a ‘shop in Norwich and recalls how much he enjoyed the fine woodwork, especially the carving of heads and scrolls. As so often happens, however, financial implications loomed large. ‘And impending marriage and children!’ he adds. The need to have a more reliable source of income became imperative, so Gerald secured a job at a local firm, making high-end reproduction furniture. ‘I started carving components, chair legs, backs, etc. and was encouraged to go to the London School of Furniture to study carving and gilding,’ he recalls. ‘I gained a distinction in the final exam.’ He has gone on to win numerous other accolades including awards from the Norfolk Furniture Makers Association for best craftsmanship, being accepted in 2002 for membership of the prestigious Master Carvers, and has carved presentation awards for Prince Charles and items for the Queen’s collection.
He is ‘by nature and training a traditionalist’. So, while he uses mechanical means to save time roughing out, he is generally a hand tool carver. His influences are varied, though he spends much time visiting country houses, churches and cathedrals and reveals his fascination with the history and styles of carving from medieval misericords to Chippendale furniture. ‘I was very lucky to be able to go up scaffolding at a nearby church [to his home in Long Stratton, south Norwich] to see the medieval roof angels close up,’ he adds, ‘it was made circa 1405 and beautifully carved.’
It becomes obvious, however, that Gerald draws his influence from far and wide. ‘I try to soak up everything I can. We travel quite a bit, to the Far East and Africa, and I will have a go in the local carvers’ workshops. I’m always amazed at the quality of work produced with limited tools. I could never get the hang of working on the floor, holding the wood between my feet!’
Claim to fame
Given his 30 years in the business of creating stunning pieces of artwork, it seems a tad mean to ask Gerald to select a favourite item, but he rises to the challenge. ‘The pirate bed was a highlight. It was carved from oak (Quercus robur) and took about three months to complete,’ he recalls. ‘I also made the headboard for the lime (Tilia vulgaris) bed used in 2012 film Anna Karenina. My claim to fame is that for about five seconds Keira Knightley was in my bed!’ The Tolstoy epic isn’t the only cultural reference that clients have brought to Gerald either.
‘There was also a dining suite with characters from The Lord of the Rings on the chair legs and a huge dragon table that went with it, with great scaly legs, and a single huge eye looking at you as you ate your dinner!’ To our great disappointment, Gerald thinks he’s lost the photos of that one (we so wanted to see that eye), but if any readers have ever seen, or dined, at said suite, do share. Another highlight was a complete screen for St Andrew’s church in Felmingham. ‘It was painted and gilt with water gilding, all the small spandrels gleaming like jewels. It was to house the Sunday school, so I carved nursery rhymes in the spandrels at child level, and little mice and snails in the tracery, apparently the kids love it.’
Luckily, Gerald didn’t have to walk the plank for his ‘pirate bed’ commission, seen here in progress as well as in situ with the finished item taking centre stage
Sharing skills
Now largely removed from budgetary constraints, his recent work has become more sculptural, reflecting a return to his art background with more individual pieces. In both can be seen his distinctive approach to carving, something he modestly waves away. ‘I don’t know whether my approach is distinctive,’ he insists. ‘But I love the act of carving, the swish of a sharp tool through the wood, the way the light catches the edge of a shadow, I suppose that makes it distinctive.’
It also makes the students who attend his short courses very lucky. ‘Most of my time now is spent teaching woodcarving,’ he explains. ‘I feel that my work is all about sharing the skills I have picked up over the past 30 years.’ Even his new, smaller workshop, into which he was in the process of moving when we spoke to him, has been tailored to teaching. And although the move was a little stressful and required Gerald to offload some of his bigger machines he seemed remarkably calm.
But then he is a far more easygoing man than his younger self. ‘I’m in the lucky position now that I can pick and choose which commissions to work on,’ he says, ‘I recently finished a nice eagle lectern for a church in Essex. It took me three months and there was quite a bit of research, but no pressure or stress. It was quite unlike when I was mass-producing chair legs to tight deadlines. I’m more relaxed and enjoy the balance I have between working on some prestigious commissions and my teaching.
‘One day I’d like to write a book on some of the things I have learned; I just need to find the time!’ We suspect that he’ll make time and, hopefully, that picture of the one-eyed dragon table will be unearthed and keep watch over the whole proceedings.
Practice what you teach
Gerald, who gained a Cert Ed, teaching qualification in 1998 and has taught at adult education and technical college level for many years, has a never-ending supply of enthusiasm when it comes to passing on his skills. He runs a variety of short courses from his workshop, some are aimed at beginners while others, such as the chair-making sessions, require some experience of cabinetmaking/carving.
‘I have about 30 students who come in, eight in a class, for weekly two-and-a-half-hour sessions, and we have a really nice time. We have a laugh, lots of tea and biscuits and actually get some work done, too! I also do weekend carving courses and a five-day classic chair-making course. We cover the basic techniques of tool handling and sharpening, which a lot of people struggle with. ‘Most of my weekly students have come from the (weekend and short) courses, and it is great to see people want to carry on with a new hobby and, in some cases, even make a new career.
‘There is something very satisfying about seeing someone a few weeks after their first course using the techniques I have taught them and with very sharp tools, too.’ Gerald welcomes students of all ages and keeps an open mind about all types of work and new technology, although he points out that some jobs just cannot be done with laser or CNC cutting, however sophisticated the machines and software. ‘Basically, I am a traditionalist, so I see my job as to teach students the fundamental techniques of woodcarving to enable them to take the craft in whichever direction they like.’