About the designer

About the Designer:

Hillary Corney.

Hillary seated at his workbench.

Hillary was strongly influenced by his father who although a Museum Curator by profession was also a very fine artist. “It was as a child walking with my father in the Hampshire countryside which instilled in me a life-long love of nature and natural forms. While watching my father draw and paint kindled in me an interest in art”. This influence led me to study Fine Art at Portsmouth College of Art in the early 1970s.

In 1975 Hillary registered a name mark with the London Assay Office. He then went on to complete a BA Hons degree in Three Dimensional Design specialising in Silver at Buckingham Chilterns University 1975 to1979. Graduating with a special commendation in 1979.

On leaving college Hillary founded his own studio in Hampshire which he shared with Amanda Birkitt (nee Buckler.) In 1987, a strong desire to pass on his belief in the value of good design and craftsmanship led Hillary into lecturing. He lectured first at Hereford College of Art and Design from 1985 to 1986 and then set up a new Computer Graphics department at Southampton College of Art where he taught from 1987 to 1995.

Family commitments meant that the Studio moved to Sussex, Wiltshire and finally to Gallery premises in Nunney Somerset where Hillary continues to design and make his original silver and jewellery designs today.

Hillary has always had a strong clientele and over the last 22 years he has had many interesting and valuable commissions. However the highlight is without doubt a silver paper knife set with amethyst and pearls together with a pair of cufflinks which were presented to Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip respectively in December 2001.

He constantly strives for perfection in his work and is often reminded of his father who said “The only thing an Artist can tell about their own work is how far short it falls of what they wanted it to be”.