If first you eat with your eyes, then what you eat with and off are all part of the experience – and that goes for drinking too.
It’s the little touches that can enhance the everyday, though some of these pieces are so gorgeous, you might just want to feast your eyes.
Sara Flynn: Porcelain
Dividing her time between West Cork and Belfast, Flynn descries her work as “a labour of love and admitted obsession”. She began her career making small-scale functional pots, but has moved on to more sculptural work.
You may not see the landscape in her work, but you could well feel something similar to those dramatic plays of light and shade inspired by a West of Ireland walk.
[ saraflynnceramic.comOpens in new window ]
The Leadbetter Family: Jerpoint Glass
Keith and Kathleen Leadbetter established Jerpoint Glass in 1979 in a converted barn in Co Kilkenny.
Thirty five years on, it’s a household name, and their children, Rory, Roisin and Sally are all involved, together with a team of glassblowers.
Visitors to the studio can see their trademark gorgeous goblets and coloured bowls being made, in a process they describe as “a magical intricate dance”.
[ jerpointglass.comOpens in new window ]
Anike Tyrrell and Christopher Kelly: J Hills Standard Glassmakers
Keen to build on the reputation of Waterford, Tyrrell and Kelly, based in Dungarvan, named their venture for John Hill, the 18th-century glass alchemist, who revolutionised Irish cut crystal. "Why make glass by hand when you can make it by machine?" asks Tyrrell. The results, made with expert blowers from the region, and designers from around the world, speak for themselves. The company was launched last year and the couple have just won a prestigious Wallpaper magazine award.
jhillsstandard.com
Andrew Ludick: Ceramics
American born Ludick cites influences as wide as Native American Art, artist Paul Klee, ceramist John ffrench and jazz musician Thelonious Monk.
Now based in Kilkenny, he describes how the process of coiling and pinching clay goes on to suggest the pieces' ultimate decorations. Exhibited and collected around the world, he has just designed a range for US store Crate & Barrel, which goes on sale this spring.
andrewludick.blogspot.ie
Chaïm and Carol Factor: Woodwork
Little things can make a big difference. A beautifully balanced knife with a handle that feels just right in the hand, a chopping board that glows with the beauty of wood. Chaïm calls his kitchenware range "design elegance for foodies". You can also take woodworking courses at their Hill Picket Studios in the Vale of Avoca.
chaimfactor.com
