FROM ANTIQUE CUTLERY TO WEARABLE ART

Tucked down a quiet street near the historic Heronswood homestead east of Melbourne is a secret studio where antique cutlery is transformed into wearable art. It’s a place where the prongs of a fork become the legs of an octopus, an old metal tea tray the mane of a jungle lion and the rounded tops of tarnished teaspoons the tail of a fat sparrow.

The Alice of this wonderland is Megan Greenwood, a young silversmith whose love of the natural world comes from growing up with a menagerie of animals. “My family lived on a farm, so I was surrounded by  pets and wildlife,” Megan explains. “My parents always encouraged my creative side and these two loves came naturally together. Creatures of the Greenwood started in 2008 after a friend and I had been busy making spoon necklaces and rings for ourselves. I was admiring a beautiful big soup spoon, which I thought looked like a bird, and started thinking of all the other little creatures I could make from it.”

CUTLERY 2

While Megan mostly looks to our furry friends for design ideas, inspiration also comes from an unusual source. “I’m very influenced by my dreams and trying to recreate them; I literally dream up some of my designs,” she says. “Sometimes they’re a little scary but mostly they are fun and adventurous, wild and kooky. That’s where my little creatures often come from. They’re dreams in a solid object, something I can share with people.”

The success of this self-taught silversmith has seen her collection featured at several shopfront stockists in  just over a year, in addition to online sales. To expand her range and knowledge, Megan has recently enrolled in an advanced diploma of engineering in jewellery at the nearby Box Hill Institute.

CUTLERY 4 CUTLERY 3

This story was originally published in Australian Country issue 15.5. Subscribe to our magazine here.

Click here for more creative corner stories.

Words Emma Sutcliffe
Photography André Elhay
Styling Fiona Newman

More Like This

Riverside Reverie Tasmania

Holly Mason is a passionate advocate for all things Tasmanian. Holly Mason has a cup of tea in hand as she […]

A Pocket of Paradise

Eliza and Rob Di Francesco have found a deep connection on Tasmania’s East Coast. Pretty well all of Rob and Eliza […]

WHICH FLUSH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Rimless Tornado Flush can impact your hygiene, water efficiency and maintenance in the bathroom. It’s flush versus flush on our website […]

How to Choose a Bidet

Super cleanly and eco-friendly, the bidet is a game-changer in the bathroom. We take a look at some of the key […]

Framed on Farm

Framed on Farm

Artist Nerida Woolley draws inspiration for her landscapes from the timber sheds and houses that punctuate the rolling green hills of […]

Creative Central: Writing and making music are the keys to fulfilment according to author Siobhan O'Brien

Creative Central: Writing and making music are the keys to fulfilment according to author Siobhan O’Brien

While most people would have found home schooling three teenagers enough of a challenge during the COVID lockdowns, journalist and author […]

Bonnie Porter Greene

The Artistic Evolution of Bonnie Porter Greene: A Journey in Colour

Shoalhaven artist Bonnie Porter Greene encourages her audience not only to touch her work, but also to make their own marks on it.

Danelle Bergstrom

The Inspirational Journey of Artist Danelle Bergstrom: From Hill End to Baltic Shores

Danelle Bergstrom divides her time between Hill End in NSW and the islands of Åland in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

Follow Us on Instagram