Leeds Pyrography Artist to Feature on National Tv Show
Chantal Gatehouse, a talented pyrography artist from Leeds, is soon to be featured on series 3 of the popular, award-winning BBC show "Make It at Market”, which will air from 3 March at 3:45pm daily for 3 weeks.
The show, hosted by Dominic Chinea, helps budding entrepreneurs turn their crafting into successful businesses. With the help of her mentor, renowned pyrographer Eben Rautenbach, Chantal has dedicated herself to mastering the art of pyrography and expanding her business.
Chantal has lived in Leeds for most of her life and has always had an interest and love of art and craft. After a less than successful stint at art college in her younger years, she gave up on the idea of an art business. After the birth of her children she developed a chronic illness which significantly impacted her life. She began creating again as a way of managing the symptoms. She discovered pyrography in 2017 and finds creating woodburned art to be therapeutic and relaxing. She is now a self taught pyrography artist, creating artwork and items with a nature and witchcraft theme. She enjoys attending local alternative markets to sell her artwork and also has her own website for online sales.
Pyrography is an ancient art, which translates as ‘writing with fire’. The technique uses a heated tool to burn designs onto surfaces such as wood and leather. Artists use special pyrography pens to create intricate patterns, shading and textures, to create anything from simple line drawings to realistic art. Pyrography is featuring for the first time on the show and Chantal hopes to showcase the beauty and versatility of the art.
"Being featured on 'Make It at Market' is a dream come true," said Chantal. "It's an incredible opportunity to share my passion for pyrography with a wider audience and to learn from the experts on the show. I'm excited to take my business to the next level and inspire others to pursue their creative dreams.”
Filming took place in the beautiful setting of Waterperry Gardens in Oxford in the summer of 2024. After the initial filming period, makers use the advice given by their mentors over the next 8 weeks, then return to reveal how they have progressed and discuss how the advice has helped their business.
The episode featuring Chantal will air on Thursday 20 March at 3:45PM on BBC One. Viewers can watch her navigate the challenges set by the show's mentors and gain valuable insights into running a successful art and craft business.