Malcolm Appleby and Jane Short 

'Storm', Edinburgh, 2015 
Sterling silver and enamel 
A spiral engraved silver dish enamelled in shades of blue and overlaid with gold leaf 
Of oval form with shaped spiral sides 
Signed and dated to the underside: Malcolm Appleby, Jane Short, 1-12-15, KW 
Approx. 11.0 x 14.5 x 4.2cm. Approx. weight 9.9oz 
(ARR) 

Provenance 
The Hamme Collection 

Footnote
In 'Storm', Malcolm Appleby and Jane Short worked in collaboration to create a one-off piece showcasing their exceptional silversmithing, engraving and enamelling skills. Malcolm Appleby has dedicated his artistic practice to 'pushing the boundaries of metalwork' and this piece is a case in point. In 'Storm' the silver has been pushed to its very limits and the stress is visible to the underside of the piece.

Malcolm Appleby has provided a description of the creative process behind this dish: "At some point I had rubber moods made of a sheet of my hammer and chisel engraving in silver not really knowing what I would do with it. I found that molten wax flowed around the engraving to make very different forms. Some of the results created a totally different aesthetic to the normal approach to silversmithing; the metal sometimes beginning to disintegrate with the stress of making. I related the results to adverse weather conditions we are experiencing due to global warming. These storm bowls would also be the ultimate challenge for Jane Short to successfully enamel, the earthquake cracks on the reverse side being a phenomenon close to destruction. Short rose to the challenge and has created with her exceptional colour palette some of her finest abstract enamels. I gave her a completely free hand within the bounds of the title Storm. The initial KW relates to Karen Wallace, my workshop assistant at the time."

 Awarded an MBE in 2016 for her services to the craft of enamelling, Jane Short is a highly accomplished enameller and a leader in her complex and highly technical field. She uses traditional techniques of champlevé and basse-taille to create work described as, 'a rich and evocative exploration of colour and imagery'. Jane trained in jewellery design in the 1970s at the Central School of Art and Design, and later studied  silversmithing at the Royal College of Art. Her work is displayed in several major collections including the V&A, the Fitzwilliam and Ashmolean Museums, the Queens Collection, and the Goldsmiths’ Collection. The British enameller, Jessica Turrell describes Jane as: 'pre-eminent in her field, creating exquisitely executed pieces that exploit her profound knowledge and understanding of materials and techniques.' Jane has provided the following comment regarding her work with Malcolm Appleby: "Working with Malcolm is fascinating, as it gives me a canvas to work on that evokes a different (and sometimes challenging) response to my own enamel work and prompts me to explore the qualities and colours of enamel that I love in a different way."