I have written lots of articles lately about business stuff and I thought it was about time I chose an artist from the vibrant Folksy community. Folksy has lots of high quality sewn and jewellery items, but hiding in the listings are also an amazing array of fine art artists and this week I have been chatting to Gelert Design.
GD primarily produces 3D works cast in a variety of mediums from his original sculptures; on Folksy, Esty and also for merchandise for a British rock band called New Model Army. So lets get to know this friend of the celebrities better!

Please tell us a bit about yourself:

As a child I was always drawing. I went to art school but it was such a disappointment that I gave up on the Romantic idea of the painter living in poverty in his studio. So I travelled around a bit, exploring the world and trying different jobs. I kept painting and sculpting occasionally but never seriously. It was a rewarding way of giving loved ones gifts and nothing more.
I was diagnosed with ME/CFS around 15 years ago and struggled to stay in employment for long periods. Then last summer, when I had to give up work yet again because I was struggling to get out of the house and approaching 40 I had to have a serious think about what I was going to do.
The creative impulse is always at it’s strongest with me when going through a period of emotional turmoil. Girlfriend leaves? Write a song. New girlfriend appears? Paint her portrait. Feeling useless, I started to make stuff again. I had some savings and a very supportive partner, so I took a chance and invested it all in materials with a view to maybe making some of it back. I’m not sure I have yet, but I’m getting close!
I’ve realized that with a worldwide recession, being nearly 40 and unable to commit to being in the office by 9 tomorrow morning, I would struggle to find work. So Gelert Design was born.

How did you come up with such an original name?

I took the name from the Welsh legend of Gelert. It’s a tale of fidelity and tragedy (which I won’t go into here).

What is the inspiration behind your work?

The aim is to create something just a little bit different to what is already available in whatever medium I use, to make things that excite me and that I think are beautiful; things that I would want to buy. I am filling a niche between art and craft. I want most of my larger items to be the focal point of your room. Being frequently housebound and staring at the walls, I endeavour to make things that will repay being looked at for long periods – objects that you won’t get bored with.

How did you get into casting?

I was always aware that making prints of my paintings was the best way to make money from art, as not many people were willing to pay me for the time it took to create something. When making things in the round, it was the obvious step to find a way of making “prints” of my sculpture.

What is the process you use?
I carve an original from plaster (or model in clay). Then I make a silicone rubber mould from it. From there I can cast very accurate copies. Most of my castings are in resin, and I like the coldcast process whereby powdered metals are suspended in the resin giving the look and feel of foundry casting but at a fraction of the weight and cost. Although I have tried other casting materials, I find resin to be best for price, strength, capturing detail, and most importantly, weight.

What was the first thing you cast?

I have a vague memory of casting a Beatrix Potter character in plaster from a latex mould as a child. I don’t think it worked
I decided at the end of 2009 to do something seriously with my art and it was then I made a lifecast bust of my partner. This was a very steep learning curve. I used alginate for the mould with plaster bandage to support it. An original was cast in plaster. This was then carefully altered and finished to a porcelain smooth finish. I made a new silicone mould from that and cast with bronze resin.
It was perhaps a foolish undertaking having never before done any lifecasting, used alginate, plaster bandage, silicone, resin, or metal! Still, the finished piece was amazing and I’m so glad I did it. It has opened so many doors for me – I can finally do something with my life that enjoy.

What is the hardest thing you have done?

It would probably be the bust. Just because it uses so many materials and techniques I have never tried before. The horrific expense, risk of killing my partner or myself, the danger of destroying our home…! If something doesn’t work for me, I can get very disillusioned and depressed, so to complete the bust was a real challenge and ultimately very rewarding.

What is the weirdest thing?

I tend to play it safe. As the ultimate goal is for my craft to support me, I always consider the marketplace. Having said that, I know there is a massive market out there for adult orientated goods. Since I’m only selling on handmade sites, I can’t really get away with creating some of the more bizarre ideas I’ve got floating around in my head. However, I did make a cute fridge magnet from a lifecasting of a nipple. It’s available from my Etsy store, but I’m sure there’s a proper market for it somewhere – I just need to find it!

What are you proudest of?

Sorry for sounding like a stuck record, but again it’s the bust; for all the reasons above plus It’s what I personally would be drawn to in a gallery. Then there’s my first wholesale customer. I’ve been a fan of the cult rock band New Model Army for over twenty years and when I started making fridge magnets it occurred to me that it was a merchandising opportunity. I made some prototypes, sent them to the band, and they immediately placed an order. It’s a great feeling when you can have some sort of involvement with your teenage heroes.

What’s next?

Next is more of the same: more plaques, more brooches, more items similar to the fairy door. I’ve got too many items that aren’t really Gelert Design somehow, so there’s going to be a rationalization of the range before too long. I’ve got a few outlets I need to contact about stocking some of the items that will be delisted. Then I’ll set about stocking my shop with items similar to my best sellers.

Also, I’m going to try a whole new craft. Being able to produce copies of my work is a dream come true in many ways, but there’s something I’ve always wanted to try and that is stained glass. People tell me my paintings have something of stained glass in them, and I see the inspiration in the cold enamelling I do on my brooches. So I’ll be trying that very soon. I have some grand ideas. But even if I really get into stained glass, I think casting will remain my main interest. There’s a little spark of excitement that comes with de-moulding a cast that doesn’t seem to diminish. Most other craft forms have the piece developing before your eyes, but when your original is plaster and you finally reveal a copy in bronze… wow.

Where else other than folksy can we find you?

Nowhere really. I like Folksy. I have a shop on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/gelertdesign

Any tips for success for people who want to try and have a go themselves?

Research, research, research! The range of materials and techniques is vast. There isn’t a one-stop-shop I have found that can answer every question. There are various ways of doing everything, but with resin there seems to be just one that is ideal for just what you are making. It’s expensive so you can’t afford to experiment. It’s dangerous, so you can’t afford too many mistakes. Alginate and some resins have a working time of just a couple of minutes. You need to know what you are doing.

Be prepared and be organized or you’ll run out of time. Without an expensive vacuum degasser silicone can be full of air bubbles. It’s incredibly expensive stuff and you don’t want to ruin your mould. There are tricks you can use to get by. There are different hardnesses on the Shore scale for rubber. Choose the right one.

Plaster, if used incorrectly, can result in 3rd degree burns and amputation. Polyester resin gives off very toxic styrene fumes the catalyst is corrosive. Get your mixing ratios wrong and you’ve got a poisonous fire going on! Metal powders are dangerous in their own right. Aluminium in particular is very explosive.
So yes, do your research and be prepared. YouTube is a great resource for mould-making and casting.

Thank you very much Gelert Design for offering us a window on your highly skilled area of art. You have given us a brilliant snap shot of the complexities of what you do!

http://www.folksy.com/shops/gelertdesign

Please go check out Gelert’s shops on Folksy, Etsy or Facebook and get a piece of art at an affordable price before he gets all famous and extremely expensive!

Edited by Bette Miles-Holleman aka BadMsM