Ayton has recently (circa 2009) been working in the drawing medium of silverpoint, which has been in use since Medieval and Renaissance times. It consists of a length of silver wire held in a stylus, which is dragged over a prepared ground, usually paper treated with gesso. The silver wire leaves a trace of the metal on the page, which gradually (over months and years) darkens and oxidizes to a brownish tint. It was used by artists, along with other metalpoints, such as copperpoint, goldpoint and leadpoint, until the arrival of the graphite pencil. Below is a selection of some of the more successful silverpoint drawings so far. More will be posted. These and others can be seen on the Silverpoint a Day Blog.
The first 15 (tinted ground) silverpoint drawings below are linked to larger versions.

Young Orpheus -- silverpoint drawing #106	Dissolving Head -- silverpoint drawing #104	Narcissus, the Beautiful Youth -- silverpoint drawing #111
Woman with Braided Hair -- silverpoint drawing 77	Cassandra -- silverpoint drawing #79	Poverty -- silverpoint drawing #53
The Underdog -- silverpoint drawing #67	Narcissus by the Sea -- silverpoint drawing #64	Orpheus (or The Hero II) -- silverpoint drawing #71
Isle of Mystery -- silverpoint drawing #54	Looking Down -- silverpoint drawing #58	Lilith -- silverpoint drawing #62
Young Girl on Burnt Ochre Ground -- silverpoint drawing #57	Young Man on Ochre Ground -- silverpoint drawing #56	Woman's Head on Blue Ground -- silverpoint drawing #52
Fear -- silverpoint drawing #3	Eyes Downcast -- silverpoint drawing #6	Narcissus Approaches the Pool -- silverpoint drawing #10
Profile of an Old Man -- silverpoint drawing #14	Head of Achilles -- silverpoint drawing #19	Large Head with Closed Eyes -- silverpoint drawing #20
Emerging Into Light -- silverpoint drawing #22	Song -- silverpoint drawing #28	Horns of the Minotaur -- silverpoint drawing #29
Profile of a Man's Head -- silverpoint drawing #32	Woman's Head -- silverpoint drawing #39	Profile of a Woman -- silverpoint drawing #40
Note: the above silverpoint drawings have been slightly adjusted in Photoshop to have more contrast for visibility purposes. Silverpoint has a tendency to produce faint, subtle lines and tones.