Miniature engraver Graham Short, made the headlines in 2016 when he engraved a portrait of Jane Austin and some famous lines from her books, in microscopic form onto four of the new plastic five pounds notes. The engraver has now revealed his latest creation, the portraits of the newly-wed Duke and Duchess of Sussex engraved onto the head of a gold pin.
Short was asked to commemorate the royal wedding of HRH Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, by Tony Huggins-Haig who owns an art gallery in Kelso. The artist collaborated with fellow miniature artist, Willard Wigan, who created a tiny sculpture of the Royal couple on their engagement day, inside the eye of a gold needle.
The engraving took Short a total of 11 weeks to complete, working at night to avoid any disturbances or vibrations from passing traffic. He explained why he worked at this time:
“If a lorry went past on the road, it would ruin the work.”
The artist also takes beta blockers and potassium magnesium which slow his heart beats. A stethoscope is attached to his chest so that he can etch each mark in between heart beats.
The work includes a facial portrait of the couple with their names ‘Harry & Meghan’ and the date of the wedding 19th May 2018 either side. The engraved awards will be on display for the summer, then the two pieces of art are to be auctioned later in the year, and the proceeds to be donated to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s seven favourite charities.
