The conference was held at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, TN. Four thumbs up to the hard working board and members of The Enamelist Society. Arrowmont is an artist's dream of awesome studios - well equipped and lots of space.
AND what a wonderful, inspiring group of artists! Great exhibits, talented and giving instructors and lectures! I was able to attend a pre-conference workshop with Andrew Kuebeck and a post-conference workshop with Ruth Ball from England. Both extremely knowledgeable and talented artists. They were also great instructors. One does not always follow the other but both these artists are able to explain their processes in an organized and easy to create manner.
There were also "break out" sessions during the conference. Ideas and methods of creating were making the air sing! Such talent! So looking forward to attending the biannual conference again.
I wanted to show and tell a little about one process creating a bowl I worked in Ruth Ball's workshop
using multiple layers and firing of one color of enamel.
Started with a clean copper bowl shape. The picture shows one layer of white enamel fired on the copper bowl with paper "masks" blocking out some of the copper.
Saucer fired with another
layer of enamel added.
More masking, add another
layer and fired.
Lines and marks added with acrylic enamel and a very fine paint brush and dense sponge. This medium allows me to add those handmade marks like I was painting in my journal. Love mark making!
The saucer is on a trivet
drying to be ready for the next firing.
Another layer of enamel
added (clear enamel) and ready for the last firing. Well, may be its last firing. I will decide after it reveals itself from
the kiln!
Well, it was two more
firings before this piece was finished. I am very happy with the result!
All of these color effects
were accomplished with white, clear enamel and black acrylic enamel.
I hope this little
sequence gives you some idea of the many steps to achieve a simple finished
enamel piece.