Heart and Hands Behind crafted from nature's gifts

So who are the creators behind Crafted from Nature's Gifts? Meet Ayesha and Mark Weekes,

I’m Ayesha Weekes, the writer of these post and one half of the heart and hands behind Crafted from Nature’s Gifts - The Artist. My right hand is Mark Weekes - The Carpenter we are a husband and wife team with over 27years experience within the visual arts and carpentry feilds and our projects are all about creating sustainable art from natural materials, blending my love for ceramics with Mark’s passion for woodworking. We are so grateful to share our creative journey with you.

Since we’re going to be sharing a lot of our creative journey with you, I thought you might like to know us both a little better. so it’d be fun to kick things off by answering some questions. Mark and I are both inspired by nature, but we come at it from different angles—so here’s a bit about who we are, what we do, and why we’re so passionate about this project!

8. What are your favourite textures, smells, or sensory moments when working with natural materials like clay or wood?"

Ayesha: There are so many! There something so satisfying about the feel of raw clay under your fingers—the cool, earthy texture as you mold it into shape, when smooth it to a sheen when burnishing . And as for smells that has to go to wood Cedar the scent is so warm and comforting.

Mark: I have to say I am not a huge fan of touching clay so for me it's all about the wood. The distinct smell of Cedar is the best. The prominent raised grain of Douglas Fir is so tactile with its corrugated feel that is caused by the harder summer wood rising above the softer spring wood in the growth ring. lastly it has to be being the first person to ever see inside a tree when its cut. This is powerful.

Q&A with Ayesha & Mark Weekes

1. How did you get into your craft?

Ayesha: I’ve always been drawn to art, especially drawing, painting makking from a very young age, creating is my happy place and brings me calm. I fell in love with ceramics at university after and workshop at the V and A Museum —there’s something magical about turning raw clay into something beautiful and functional. I love the connection to the earth, and every piece feels like a small celebration of nature with your own hands.

Mark: When I was in school my dad, a welder, gave me some advice 'get a trade'. I listened and when I got to 16 and started to look at college course carpentry was a no brainer, the only subject I really enjoyed at school was woodwork so it made sense, I loved working with my hand. Creating things from scratch, being challenged by the wood, by designers, by spaces. its great to know that I can take a lump of wood and give it a new life creating something useful.

9 What exciting projects or new ideas are on the horizon for Crafted from Nature’s Gifts?"

Ayesha: Looking ahead, we’re excited to do more community workshops where can share basic skills and the need sustainable arts and crafts. it would be great to work with more fallen trees there are so many and the stories are so special, they add so much to the creations. Stay tuned for more!"

Mark: Yes giving new life to what nature has left in spaces that connect to would be great, A table in all these lovely woodlands and gardens would be fantastic.

10. What do you hope people take away from Crafted from Nature's Gifts?

Ayesha: I hope they feel inspired to connect with nature in their own way, and to see the beauty in things that are often overlooked. Whether it’s a piece of art or a fallen tree, everything has value. I hope they also feel inspired to create with what nature has left for us and embrace the changes and perfect imperfections.

Mark: I’d like people to see that craft and sustainability can go hand in hand. You don’t have to always take something new, we can create with natures leftover, if we stop search for millimetres and accept the natural lines, shakes, cracks, warps and changes.

How do you connect with nature, and have you ever tried creating something from reclaimed or natural materials? We’d love to hear your stories!

Thanks for reading and getting to know us a little better! We’re so grateful and excited to have you join us as we explore the possibilities of green sustainable wood. If you have any questions or want to know more about what we do, feel free to drop a comment—we’d love to hear from you!

2. What do you love most about your craft?

Ayesha: For me, it’s the process—shaping the clay, this lump of earth, I find it very therapeutic and seeing the final glaze after it’s fired. It’s such a rewarding experience to see an idea come to life.

Mark: I love woods strength and versatility. Every piece has a stories to tells, no two pieces of wood are the same, with their own unique grain, texture, colour smell and character. its so tactile and sensory.I love the face the in a way the wood is still alive, evolving and constantly changing. It’s about respecting that and working with the natural form, rather than against it.

3. How do you blend your skills in this project?

Ayesha: That’s the fun part! I focus on the project management, design elements, finer details and ceramics, while Mark handles the woodworking, the function and making sure that all my ideas work. We both bring our unique skills to each project, but the key is that we share the same vision—transforming nature’s materials into something new.

Mark: Yeah, we complement each other’s work and we’re always learning from each other. Ayesha adds a level of artistic detail that I couldn’t do, and I handle the structural side of things. I focus on the functionality of creation where as Ayesha is all about form It’s a great

4. What inspired you to focus on sustainability?

Ayesha: I love the elements, being in nature it is calming and grounding. Nature has given us every thing we need. So it just made sense to approach art in a way that honors and protects it, giving new life to what has already been provided makes sense.

Mark: I agree. I have always loved the outdoors, the freedom that being in nature gives. There’s something very fulfilling about giving new life to materials that might otherwise go to waste. Working with fallen trees or reclaimed wood is a way of respecting the natural world, and that’s really important to both of us.

5. What are you most excited to share with your audience?

Ayesha: I’m excited to show the whole process— the story, how we connect with communities and share skills, how we start with raw materials and turn them into something special. I think people will appreciate the journey as much as the final product.

Mark: For me, it’s also about sharing the craftsmanship behind woodworking. I think a lot of people don’t realise how much thought, care and effort goes into each piece, and I’m looking forward to showing that side of things. i really look forward to people utilising and enjoying our creations.

6. What's been the most challenging part of this project so far?

Ayesha: Definitely balancing our creative ideas with the limitations of the materials and time. Sometimes nature has its own plans, and we have to adapt, that goes for both ceramics and wood!

Mark: Yeah, sometimes the wood won’t cooperate, or a piece of material might not be suitable for what we originally intended. But honestly, that’s part of the beauty—it forces us to get creative. Problem solving is my favourite thing.

7 Can you share a memorable or challenging project you've worked on, and how you overcame any obstacles?"

Ayesha: With clay timing is everything on a few projects when things get really busy with the planning community work and helping Mark, I am just about to the wire and it is make or break literally for my creation particularly in the warm weather. i really have to manage my time well and pay attention otherwise

Mark: I remember one project where we tried to use a piece of reclaimed wood that turned out to be far more fragile than expected. We almost gave up, but then Mark had the brilliant idea of reinforcing it in a way that kept its natural beauty intact. That’s the beauty of working with nature—you have to be flexible and open to changes."