Where all the magic happens…Megan’s amazing studio.

The large hair comb was a piece made by Megan during her first year at Box Hill College in Melbourne. “We were asked to use alternative materials or recycled objects. I had already been experimenting with a few antique silver trays, so I knew exactly what I wanted to make. It looks stunning on and is surprisingly light to wear. Unusual and elaborate headpieces are something that I aim to be making more of!”

The vintage hat block is wearing one of Megan’s favourite headpieces. “I was told it would have been worn as a wedding headdress in the 1960’s or 70’s.”

“I am always on the look out for inspiration. Recently, whilst planning for an upcoming photo shoot, I was looking for a vintage diver’s helmet. The first person I think of when needing interesting objects is my beautiful friend Coco, and of course she happened to have exactly what I was looking for!”

“This poem was written about a girl who loves a boy. It’s my most favourite poem and most cherished piece of paper. I’ve designed a few pieces of jewellery around these words and it continues to inspire me.”

The inspiration for the silver bird cup, tea strainer and spoon came from a dream that Megan had when she was seventeen. “It was one of the most vivid dreams I’ve ever had, and when I woke up I drew some of the images I’d seen and wrote down the story.” One of the most poignant scenes in the dream was the interaction Megan had with two older Edwardian ladies wearing dusty, black, silk and lace dresses. “They were drinking tea at a round table with an old lace covering, in the dark wood. The silver teacups were shaped like birds and the teapot was shaped like a swan. Every night I tried to re-enter that dream just so I could see the old ladies having their tea party. I knew one day I would make that tea set. I cant wait to finish it!”

The cutlery piece sitting in the glass bottle was bought from an antique shop. “It reminded me of King Triton’s trident and I loved its shape. It also reminded me of the poles on a vintage carousel… this piece has inspired a lot of ideas.”

Megan has a large collection of feathers. so when she made the decision to take a little break from my silversmithing, she made herself a feather garland -“All while I was watching and singing along to ‘The Sound of Music’. The large piece of drift wood Braden and I found on our last summer holiday to one of our favourite beaches. We collected some beautiful little treasures from there that will also be made into pieces of art soon.”

Megan’s treasure chest, full of little mementos that have played a part as inspiration for her work. “I have a lot of seahorses around my studio (all having departed this world of natural causes). They are such whimsical creatures. I had a mold made of the largest seahorse in my collection. He is so perfect, I’ve used his tails on one of my large neck-pieces and have quite a few more designs with him in them that I’m hoping to finish soon.”

“This is Miss Betty. I always loved these vintage mannequins growing up. She’s a size twelve with great curves and funny shaped breasts. She’s a little grubby but that’s her history! I move her around the house, dressing her in different things depending on how I feel, but for the next couple of months she is staying in my studio so I can use her to see how my new deigns are going to sit on the body. I have a runway show for RAW Melbourne in July ‘Into the forest and down to the sea”, and there will be a sailor, a siren and three birds. I’ve been pinning ideas/objects onto her and seeing how some of the costumes look before they get tailored to fit the models.”

In this piece I explored the themes of love and loss, a journey of sailors who go off to war, leaving behind the women who love them. Some parts I hand carved into shapes and patterns. I used the cuttlefish casting technique, which sets an organic mood to the piece. Adding oxidization, it further creates an aesthetic of being weathered and ship wrecked, as if the ships are drawn from under the sea to re-live the battle that kept them from their loves. My most favourite pieces to make are ones that are complicated in shape and size with lots of detail. I am a daydreamer and story teller, so I feel these types of pieces are the best at telling you who I am as a maker.”

The little duckling was a gift from a Megan’s friend, Melbourne artist Dianne Harris.

The Lace garment on the hanger was another piece Megan created in her first year at Box Hill College. “I can’t remember the brief given… but I remember we could use any type materials we liked. I was interested in the architecture and design behind the Victorian terrace homes. I read on a blog that apparently the roofing on the terrace homes represented the Victorian ladies dresses, with all their fancy details. It got me thinking more about the clothing and it went from there. I had pieces of old lace, doilies, and pearls that I had collected, and once I had pinned it all together and cut away excess lace, my mum showed me how to sew it all together.”

The water colour portrait of Richie from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums‘ is by Melbourne artist Samantha Mullavey. “I found her through Instagram – @teefandbones – and saw she was selling him. Such a great find! It’s one of my  favourite movies.”

Megan made this tree for her husband, Braden, when they started going out together. “It was one of our anniversaries and I wanted to make him something that was a bit symbolic to our relationship. For some reason we had always bought each other something in relation to a tree. We have both always wanted to live in a tree house home, like the ones you see in quirky house books. This was my tiny version of our Magic Faraway Tree.“