Study Day November 2019
Kirsty Sumerling attended Malcolm Appleby’s Study Day on the 1st November where she was given a further insight into the inspiration, drawing, research, design development and the extreme skill and dexterity that goes into the creation of a Malcolm Appleby piece. Alongside engraving demonstrations, films and slideshows, Malcolm took the time to focus on his early drawings and design process. Thank you Malcolm and Philippa for a wonderful day!
Please continue to read below for a further insight into the Study Day.
The story behind Malcolm’s initial discovery of the numerous possibilities and playfulness of engraving is perhaps not what you would expect. Malcolm recalls rolling a penny through a machine at a tourist attraction, distorting it into an oval with the emblem of the Queen now stretched completely out of character. It would seem this simple discovery sparked off many ideas and notions of what can be achieved when you marry playful distortion with engraving. Malcolm identified that so often engraving was not used in a creative manner:
The silver was always dominant and the engraving seemed to be secondary.
And so it would seem the journey began. Malcolm’s unique style of engraving often incorporates numerous layers of engraving, each layer adding to the previous, creating a spectrum of pattern and the unique sense of distortion and playfulness that Malcolm had set out to achieve.
Whilst the images of works in progress above are on the flat, and the pieces will then be formed from them, Malcolm also engraves onto the final 3D form as you can see in the images below.
I am interested in the subliminal qualities that draw you to an object.
Malcolm’s beautifully engraved jewellery in silver and gold, often depicts flora and fauna. Here are a few examples below. View our collection of Malcolm Appleby jewellery here
