Page 188 - Homes & Interiors Scotland

DESIGN ARCHIVES

his mother was an artist. He was an only child, and by the time he was three the
family were living near the Malvern hills in Worcestershire. Welch senior had an
attic workspace in which his son was allowed to sketch and paint. The boy showed
great skill in draughtsmanship (and in cricket), and won several competitions and
bursaries for his artistic endeavours. Welch’s family were by no means wealthy but
they managed to send him to art school, which led on the Royal College of Art in

London. This is where he first encountered stainless steel – the material that would
become the foundation of his life’s work.
Welch was hugely influenced by his surroundings and spent a lot of time
walking in the hills. Nature was a great source of inspiration; Alice recalls time as a
child beachcombing with her father, collecting shells, driftwood and bird skulls. “He
would make incredible collages. One particularly memorable picture was of a Native
American face made of stones and bits of washed-up shredded car tyre.”
Welch’s driving force was to work out the evolution of a product. He began
with shapes – often having studied natural forms to develop the right curves and
lines – and then striving to create a piece, whether a candlestick or a spoon, that