Feeling a little schizophrenic . . .

Ocean Jasper + enamel on copper

I know, I know.  Can you not just settle on one thing already?

Here's the skinny, Minnie.

You've seen some of my watercolor lately and I'm not giving that up.

I need a bit of stimulation to get my creativity flowing.

Watercolor is doing that so that's not going away anytime soon.

Then I discover enamel and fall in love all over again.

I am reclaiming the artist I always thought I was.

I am.

Working toward the weekend . . .

Still piling up the new work for my next show at the Visiting Nurse Association benefit Art&Soup show in Omaha this coming Sunday, as you can see.  Loving the new direction and working with enamels, torch-firing, and my stash of enamel jars continues to grow.  


It's addicting but I think it may really be the color splash that I am enjoying so much.  

It would be easy to re-create with others have done and I see much of that as I cruise through etsy and other selling sites but my own hand is starting to shine through now. I'm using all of the same techniques that I use in silverwork.  Lots of pinning, simple embellishing, punching and hammering shapes so it becomes mine and not just a stamped piece.

I am super-anxious to see how the new work direction is received and I can always count on good and honest feedback from this particular show.  Add to that the fact that shows are so saturated with silver and strung pieces that this is simply different from an art and craft show standpoint.

SPRING!

Post a little positive affirmation, okay?  I'll let you know how it goes.

A little articulation, please . . .

Necklace

Orchid enamel

Pinned and articulated

Nearer horizons and open possibilities

Happy Valentine's Day . . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

Simple : sweet : everyday Valentine

I've been slowly collecting different little jars of enamels, absolutely fascinated.  I have been doing my own lapidary work and amassing beautiful stones for such a long time and now this colorful addition has me oohing and ahhing at the sweet, soft combinations.  I'm using both copper and silver and playing with some success that has even me excited to combine enamels with metalwork and stones.  

I am finding that different gases produce different subtle effects - wanted and unwanted!  I particularly like the sugar phase of the sifted enamel powders transforming and the two pair of earrings here show exactly that.  Rough texture and deep, deep color.  Fun to watch the enamels as they transform and a trick to get them to stop just where you want.  Practice practice.

This pink and white pair of earrings shows that colors are not blended like paint.  Rather, combining two or more colors of enamel will give you speckles and another dimension to pieces.

I have a wonderful show on the schedule for 23 Feb in Omaha - Art & Soup - and I've been creating piles of earrings and pendants in the last month.  Gotta admit, I'm pretty excited to see if everyone else is as enamored with enamel as I am.

Fingers crossed.

Bye.bye little birdhouse . . .

Yay for me, I hardly get a chance to post things on my blog before the sell anymore.  I should be so lucky all of the time!

Anyhoo, this is a little copper birdhouse I enameled with several siftings of vitreous enamel in white as the base and raspberry pink for the top layer.  On the final firing I randomly placed a few copper dots for a bit of interest and forged a bail to pin on top so the little birdhouse swings.

Pretty cute.  May have to do a series in sweet Springy colors?

Sunday enamel play . . .

Such a great day!  I carved out a few hours this Sunday afternoon to play with my enamels and see what developed?  My goal is to keep at it until I know what to expect each time - I guess that's called consistency - and I'm slowly figuring out my technique issues as I go.

I took a few old pairs of copper earrings and here's what came from my playtime.

I love the orange dangly pair - what a wonderful color and I so like the way it darkened on the edges.

The sky blue pair turned out lumpy and I've got to figure that one out.  I think I need to leave the fire on it for a little while longer.  Not sure. Hmmm . . . . 

The flower pendant was turquoise with tangerine sprinkles on the edges.  I can see that I had a little bit of contaminant on one of the petals so next time I'll remember to clean a bit longer before I sift the enamel powder onto the piece.  The three silver balls are attached by first drilling holes where you want the decor, enameling and then threading the balled wire through and torch-pinning on the backside.  This one I'll keep for myself because it's got a boo-boo.

Overall, happy.  Happy and successful day.