Sheila McDonald was born in Fife and studied Textile Design at Glasgow School of Art, before studying at the Royal College of Art, London. This fascination with textiles is still apparent in her jewellery and silversmithing where she combines precious metals with enamel.
‘Most of my work features transparent enamel on silver, combining bright, rich colour and pattern with fine gold wire and fine gold or silver leaf. I use traditional enamelling techniques such as cloissoné, champlevé and plique-a-jour. I also work in 18ct gold, fabricating small, delicate pieces which incorporate plique-a-jour enamel. My main influences have always been a love of drawing and watercolour painting. I have always had a childlike excitement about colour and drawing ….this has been with me for as long as I can remember.’
Public collections include:
Goldsmiths’ Hall, London; Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow; Norwich Castle Museum; Holden Gallery, Manchester; Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery.
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