Designer Emma on Mr Snow, Morricone and the Makers’ House

From the age of four, Emma Thorpe has had a love of making beautiful things, supported, encouraged and inspired by her creative mother and grandmother (who was herself an artist).
At her work benchAt her work bench
At her work bench

Emma uses the ancient metalworking techniques of chainmail and Viking knitting, alongside sand casting and hand forging, to produce beautiful and unique pieces of sterling silver jewellery.

Launching her business, Atlantic Rose, (www.atlanticrose.co.uk) in 2005, Emma’s work is inspired by the rich and vibrant history and outstanding natural beauty of the stunning Causeway Coast, where she grew up. From the powerful North Atlantic waves crashing on the shoreline, to the sunken treasure of the Spanish Armada and the spectacular geology of the Giant’s Causeway, Emma’s connection with her home feeds into her work, weaving meaning and significance into each piece she makes.

Q. What is your favourite song/album and why?

Emma ThorpeEmma Thorpe
Emma Thorpe

A. Oh this is so difficult as I love a huge range of music, but if I had to absolutely make a choice, I’d have to say Led Zeppelin IV. I remember listening to the album when I was 15/16 and it was the soundtrack to my summer that year. Every time I listen to it, (I have it on right now) I’m back to my 16 year old self...and yes I drove my family mad playing “Stairway to Heaven” on the guitar incessantly.

Q. What is your favourite film and why?

A. For me there is nothing more enjoyable than going to the cinema or curling up on the sofa with a good movie. I have literally had a love affair with film since I was old enough to switch on the television myself. I used to get up early on a Saturday morning and sneak downstairs with my blanket and teddy to sit and watch the Lassie or Elvis Presley movies they used to show on TV before Swap Shop came on.

I don’t think I can whittle this down to just one film, but definitely up there is The Goonies. I think it’s nearly every kid’s dream to have an adventure like that. I still love watching it today and I’ll randomly put it on and watch it, with or without my kids.

Q. What is your favourite piece of classical music and why?

A. My favourite has to be Gabriel’s Oboe from “The Mission” by Enrico Morricone. It is such a beautiful piece of music and I cry every single time I hear it, no matter where I am or what mood I’m in. I also love Camille Saint-Saëns “The Carnival of the Animals”. As children, my brothers, sisters and I went to sleep listening to the version with Ogden Nash’s poems read by Pete Murray. I used to go to sleep with images of dancing fossils, swans and lions in my head. It made for some fantastic dreams.

Q. Who is your favourite artist (eg van Gogh) and why?

A. I don’t have a favourite artist per se, but I do have a favourite group of artists. I count myself very lucky to be part of a team of extremely talented local artists and designers, in Makers’ House in The Designerie, Bushmills. In the team we have: Susan Hunter-ceramics (Susan F Hunter www.susanfrancescahunter.com); Fiona McToal (Fee McToal Millinery www.feemctoalmillinery.com); Laura McIlveen (Laura McIlveen Photography www.lauramcilveenphotography.co.uk); Lorna Shannon - weaver (Crann+Caora-www.cranncaora.co.uk); Claire McDowell- wild life artist (Bad Bird Crafts www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BadBirdCrafts); Jill Gurney (Linen Lane www.linenlane.com) and Sarah MacKay (Sarah Mackay Artist www.facebook.com/SarahMackayArtist). We also have Graham Watts (Causeway Coffee causewaycoffee.com) who produces the most gorgeous coffee - the roasting, grinding and brewing of coffee is an art too. These artists have to be among my favourite. We all work closely together, supporting each other in our business ventures and often collaborating on projects.

Our latest and biggest collaboration has been our new online workshops. As a team, we at Makers’ House were lucky enough to secure funding from Future Screens NI, enabling us to produce a series of free online workshops for people to try at home. You can find our current workshops on Vimeo under “Makers’ House at The Designerie”. We’ll be adding more to it in the very near future.

Q. What is your favourite play and why?

A. I went to see “Mojo Mickybo” years ago with my dad, when it came to the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine. The two actors were superb and I remember completely forgetting that there were only the two of them on stage for the entire performance. It was seamless.

Q. What is your favourite musical and why?

A. Musicals have been part of my life from a very young age, thanks to my father’s involvement with Portrush Music Society and through the society I have been involved in many fantastic shows over the years. My first foray onto stage was in Portrush Music Society’s production of “Carousel” as one of Mr Snow’s children. I was around eight years old. My dad played Billy Bigelow in the show and I cried my eyes out every night when he was ‘killed’ on stage. Most of all I remember how much I loved being on stage: the nerves, the excitement, I loved everything about it. I guess “Carousel” will always have a special place in my heart.

As a member of the audience, my favourite musical to watch has to be “Chicago”. I was lucky enough to see it on Broadway and it just blew me away.

Q. What is your most special moment in the arts and why?

A. The most special moment in the arts for me has to be the time I played a small concert up at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. At the time I was living in New York and playing fiddle and singing in a band called The Chickenstand Throwdown Band. We were invited to play at a student event at the university and it just so happened that very same week my dad and youngest sister came over to the States to visit me. Of course, they were invited to come along for the road trip. They hadn’t heard my band perform and I know neither of them was expecting very much from us and were just politely lending their support. I will never forget their faces when we came out and began our set (we were actually pretty good). We had the whole audience of around 200 students on their feet dancing - the atmosphere was electric and there, at the front of the crowd, were my dad and little sister with these looks of shocked delight on their faces. It was one of the best on-stage moments I have ever had, made even better by the fact my family were there to see it.

Q. What ‘classic’ just doesn’t do it for you?

A. “Last of the Mohicans” has to be one of the biggest disappointments in my life. I was working on an excavation in Dublin at the time and as I loved the film, I thought the book would be a great way to spend the long train journeys and to expand and add depth to the story of the film I loved. How wrong I was. I did manage to finish it, but I’m definitely not a fan.

Q. What have you been reading/watching/listening to/revisiting during the Coronavirus period?

A. During lockdown we’ve watched a lot of feel-good movies together as a family. Plenty of Marvel and DC films and more than a few musicals to keep things light and fun. The kids and I also did a huge amount of baking, which is something we hadn’t done together for quite sometime, so that was one positive to come out of lockdown.

For me, Lockdown was also an opportunity for me to focus on my jewellery business, Atlantic Rose, providing me with an opportunity to play with new techniques as well research and develop my business skills, especially for the online market.

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