Tim COLE| STUDIO 222

tcolecrafts.co.uk
t.colecrafts@gmail.com
ig: @t_colecrafts

As an artist, Tim Cole seeks to capture individual moments and adventures. He looks for the quirkiness in any situation, presenting an alternative view of the familiar. Sunsets have always been an inspiration, as has London.

Working with mixed media, Tim combines his photography with leather working skills. Carefully curated photographic images are enhanced and developed with tooling and carving techniques to make each piece unique and individual. Combining elements from different crafts – glass engraving, wood carving and printing – these works celebrate traditional craftmanship and the tactile, sensory quality of the sustainable English vegetable tan leather that he uses.

Tim's craft journey started at an early age, drawing inspiration from an art shop in the small market town of Saffron Walden. Crammed to the ceiling with all manner of crafts, materials and art supplies, it was a cave of wonders! Later, he trained in Interior Design at Kingston University, developing designs using a range of materials but increasingly focussed on glass and glass engraving, playing with the effects that the combination of light, engraving and glass could produce.

He founded T Cole Crafts in 2019. Blending traditional crafts with modern technology and rapid prototyping techniques, his aim was to create unique, personalised leather gifts which were ergonomic, and have a cradle-to-cradle life. In 2021, cork fabric products were introduced as a vegan friendly option, using the flexibility that cork offers to design custom accessories. Already committed to a zero-waste approach, Tim is now reducing the energy requirements of his studio and market stalls with the goal of ultimately generating more electricity than he uses.