About

Mike Cordner is a painter and woodworker based in Braco, Perthshire. His creative life moves between two distinct but complementary practices: the soft, atmospheric world of pastel painting and the meticulous craft of fine woodworking.

After a break of almost forty years, Mike returned to painting and rediscovered his passion for pastels — a medium he loves for its remarkable versatility. His work ranges from soft and gentle to dramatically atmospheric, with a particular focus on seas and skies. He also paints the occasional still life, approaching it as a technical exercise to sharpen his craft.

Alongside his painting, Mike is the maker behind Boxclever — an elegant range of jewellery, trinket, and keepsake boxes crafted from native Scottish hardwoods. With over twenty years of semi-professional furniture making behind him, he now focuses entirely on these smaller, highly detailed pieces. His designs are intentionally simple, letting the natural beauty of the wood — its grain, texture, and colour — speak for itself. Some pieces incorporate gold leaf accents and turned elements, adding warmth and tactile richness.

All timbers are sustainably sourced from accredited suppliers, often from managed woodlands or trees that have fallen or need to be felled on safety grounds. Every box is cut, shaped, and finished by hand, sanded and polished layer by layer until the surface takes on a soft, natural sheen.

Mike works from his home studio in Braco, where he continues to explore the quiet dignity of well-made objects and the expressive power of light and landscape.

Selected Work

Contact

Interested in Mike’s work or commissions? Find him on the Perthshire Artisans site or get in touch via CREW.