Freestyle enamelling
Innovation in enamelling As you have seen throughout the contents of this website, especially in enamelling and brief history there is nothing new apart from Raku which originates from Japan in the ceramics industry. Pushing traditional boundaries and creating something innovative and exciting in any craft always faces opposition. We are expected to fall into a preset category of enamelling types and then to be judged against the best who practice in the historical past. Perfection in the traditional techniques are works to be admired and coveted but thinking out of the box should have a place in our craft as well. Where then is the future for enamelists who embrace change, flexibility and freedom of expression. Outstanding work can be achieved with freestyle because it takes experience and a professional understanding of enamels and their firing temperatures. All the work on the image strip above is done in freestyle. What is freestyle Freedom of expression is the key. Any of the traditional techniques can be incorporated into your work but the enamels are used to create rough controlled edges. The precious metal with all its beauty can have an equal place against the enamels rather than being covered with them. Not all enamels will will give the effects shown see picture 1 below, it is up to you to experiment with your stock to search out the compatable ones that give the desired finish. The effect of higher firing and an uneven surface of enamel will allow a burn back leaving holes and an interesting edge. This works well on silver and gold but exposed copper will tarnish to a dark patination, bear it in mind. The use of tiny lumps of glass fused to the metal is not new but spacing it out to reveal the metal is not often practiced, see picture 2 below. Taking ideas from glass and ceramic artists does not keep the way you work narrow. It opens many doors for enamellists who can learn and apply glazes and glass to thier work. Another interesting but strange use of enamels is to finish enamelling a piece and then to break off some of the enamels by twisting and gently bending your work, when you have the desired effect you refire, see picture 3 below. Many traditional enamellists cannot understand this process but it can be experimental and very interesting.
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The detail on this silver forged mussel shell shows how the edges of the enamel are allowed to burn back leaving the silver to shine through and create a natural flowing edge. With each firing more enamel will be lost, so it is within your control to add more or carborundum out certain areas for more burn back. When all enamel firings were completed on the shell, the last one to add iridescence was raku. | ||
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This ear-ring has no burn back but rather ground glass which slumps and fuses to the silver. The lumpy nature of the glass then gives a more interesting surface for the gold leaf to be fused to. | ||
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This component of a pebble necklace shows how after all enamelling is finished the piece has been bent to crack off the enamel, leaving ridges and lines. Some of the surface has also being lost and the piece has then been refired. | ||
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