Jewellery on display at Creative Arts Exhibition

Carnegie College’s annual art exhibition currently running in the Kingsgate Shopping Centre in Dunfermline showcases the abundance of creative talent cultivated in the College, from paintings to pottery and furniture to fabrics. For students on programmes such as art and design, visual communications, furniture restoration and jewellery it is the culmination of a year of study and recognition of all their efforts and hard work. Two students displaying work in the Kingsgate are full-time jewellery students Niall Aitken and Michele Daykin. Niall (20) from Hillend is exhibiting jewellery he has designed and manufactured. Niall has been working mainly with silver and enamel since coming to college after a year of indecision about the direction his life was taking. He said “I knew I had to do something, and at the back of my mind I had always thought about working in this area. The NQ course has allowed me to explore the artistic side of small scale metal work and jewellery. I’m learning traditional skills and getting to create my own effects. In the future I hope to go on to continue developing metalsmithing to degree level.” Michele, a mature student from Dalgety Bay, came to Carnegie with a City & Guilds Diploma in Stitched Textiles. She is using her knowledge of textiles to create what she terms ‘fusion’ jewellery, using new technology on silver and fabric to create unique one-off pieces, with several now on show at the exhibition. Currently completing her second year at Carnegie, Michele, along with two of her classmates, was recently presented with the Bellore Jewellery Prize at the College Awards Ceremony. She intends to return to college after the summer to continue on the HNC Jewellery course before pursuing a part-time career as a jewellery designer and creator. Photographs: Top: Some of Michele's jewellery Middle: Niall Aitken Bottom: Michele Daykin Posted 1 June 2010 See more students' work at the Creative Arts Exhibition