I introduce the workshops as being "the art of serendipity" and each time I teach this subject the saying proves true. The emphasis I make is on having a go, and just experimenting without expecting too many predicable result to start off with. However, it never fails to fascinate me that by the end of each session everyone comes aways with some really interesting results, new discoveries, and the odd masterpiece !
The discussion and analysis that takes place in group sessions insures that by the end of a day the knowledge of each characteristic is shared between everyone, enabling most of the effects to be repeatable - well, almost all of them ! there is always the happy fluke of a unique combination of temperature of firing, type / thickness of metal, combination of enamels and length of kiln time!
Just some of the results..
Samples of test work by Melissa Rigby at the Guild Conference York
An amazing process devised by Janet Notman, Edinburgh - three effects in one !
just incredible !
A beautiful organic result - this one by another enameller at the Edinburgh workshop and reminds me of stones and moss.
Layered effect using silver leaf
David Knight applying gold foil to enamel on steel.
Here a real mixture of leaf and foils using gold and silver, and I think finished with an underfired flux for the frosty effect ! - sample by Dorothy Cockrel.
