Meet the maker
Inspired by the natural world, Anna de Ville creates beautiful and eye-catching jewellery.
Anna's current range of necklaces, earrings, tie slides, cufflinks and brooches reflect themes of leaves, flowers, frogs, newts, hares, owls, seals and eagles. At present, Anna is exploring the design possibilites offered by the plumage and character of our native wild birds to create a new collection of brooches and standing figures. Anna, a designer with over 15 years experience of jewellery making has evolved a unique style based on contrasting polished and oxidised silver.
Stages in the making of a swallow pendant.
Anna is currently showing a collection of her jewellery in our
A Walk in the Park exhibition, until the 27th June 2015.
"Essentially self taught, I work on the flat. The shape of the piece is sawn from a sheet of silver and then built up a layer at a time. The last details are made with fine silver wire. The dramatic black and white “wood cut” look is achieved by oxidising the background and polishing the foreground with a selection of mops and brushes.
All my inspiration comes from the natural world. Ever since I started showing my work at the British Bird Watching Fair each summer at the RSPB reserve at Rutland Water I have become obsessed with trying to create the character of our native birds and animals. Some times they are humorous, some times more stylised. Hares and foxes sit alongside cheeky starlings and bemused looking owls.
These hand made pieces are a real joy to work on and make me want to get up in the morning."
