I drove home through the redwoods where I had my very first bald eagle sighting and came across a herd of elk.  I love the West Coast.

The class I took in coorelation with the conference was called “Form and Image” taught by Jessica Calderwood. We worked a bit with a hydraulic press and explored the possiblities of under and overglazes.  I was stoked.  I’m still stoked to apply this the new found knowledge to my pieces!  Essentially, one needs to put down a nice ground coat and counterenamel, etch the enamel to give it texture and then it is ready to draw on! With a pencil! Seriously!  A regular graphite pencil will work though we used Amaco’s underglaze pencils.  After firing it in we explored the wonders of overglazes.  I’ll stop yammering and give some examples I did in class.  How ’bout that?

Work in Progress from Jessica Calderwood's class in underglaze pencil and overglaze

Work in Progress from Jessica Calderwood's class in underglaze pencil and overglaze

On to the conference!

There were lots of talks, breakout sessions, and classes to choose from.  I’m a little sad I forgot my clonie as I wanted to go to them all!

My very favourite breakout was a talk from Martha Banyas: Looking for art in some of the right places.  She is a well traveled and articulate woman, who I felt would be a kindred spirit.  Her work is focused on the human form, animals, tattoos and masks using cloisonné and overglaze techniques seamlessly together.  Being a dancer enchanted by the human form I was really digging it.  She spoke favourite pieces from visiting the Cincinnati Art Museum as a kid, pieces which are high on my list as well (the tiny Egyptian animals and miniatures win out for me though). She’s currently in Portland, so practically my neighbor, and somehow I didn’t manage to pin her down out the conference. Field trip! Sorry I can’t find a link to her work, but she’s in Linda Darty’s bookJ

 Post conference I took a workshop from Jessica Calderwood.  Jessica is open, informative, encouraging, and experimental as a teacher.  I had never attacked under and overglazes before as it always seemed like there were too many options (what powders or paints to buy, what oils or binders to use, etc)  Jessica gave us the how and why of what works for her and we ran with it.  I was quite impressed with the student work!  I had a few issues with the ceramic decals (dropping my piece, smearing them off:/) but I’m pleased with where I got in three days.  In a three day cloisonné class I’d have maybe gotten one piece done.  In this class I almost finished three!

I made other connections with conference goers and mentors that were delights.  In other mediums, I’ve met folks whose work I adore and whose personality is, well, evil.  Enamelists seem to be a different breed, eager to talk about techniques, inspirations, silliness, and just about anything.

Click through to these fabulous people.  They are awesome. Do it!

Merry Lee Rae

Michele Raney

Marianne Hunter

Pam East

Rick McMullen

but I didn’t get to meet L

Harlan Butt

though he was there somewhere!

Egads.  I have much more to say but you’ve already had to scroll down this far!

Taking it in,

~margarita

Many amazing enamel exhibitions will be on display during the conference:

• “The Enamel Show” at Velvet Da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco
  a selection of enamels from Lark Books’ 500 series juried by Sarah Perkins
  August  5 - September 13, 2009
• “Fred  Ball Enamels” at the San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design
  presents a focused selection of the artist’s most experimental works produced over a period of fifteen years between 1970 and 1985. Organized  by the Enamel Arts Foundation. July 24 - October 4,  2009
• “Alan Osborne Expressionist Enamels” at the Richmond Art Center, South Gallery, July 29 - August 19. Community Gallery - From our Studios 1 Artwork created in the RAC studio programs including metals and enameling Artist Reception August 8, 3 - 5 pm. The exhibitions galleries are open Tuesday - Saturday from 1 -5 pm.
• The 12th  Bienniel International Juried Enamel Exhibition and
  The 8th  International Juried Student Enamel Exhibition August 1- August 26, 2009 at the Oakland Art Gallery in Oakland, California

Excited and delighted,
~margarita

really.

I can stop any time.

May wisdom, compassion, patience, generosity, and discipline find their way to you today.

Peace,
~margarita

If you’ve ever been so full of love, longing, even pain and wondered if your heart might just burst-


Kerplooey! Like a blown out old tire.  Not that hearts are tires, just sometimes tired. Don’t worry though, you can show the more together side; Pretend you’re tough;)

-torch fired enamel on fine silver metal clay heart pendant with sterling bail-

So I totally bombed at the thing-a-day thing… maybe next year.

I did get my bathroom painted!

So, at least, I’m getting something done:)

As I was working in the studio on some custom jobs I thought to myself, there’s got to be an easier way to enamel the inside of this sphere.  The enamel tends to follow the force of gravity when the enamel is molten causing the edges to be bare and requiring many, many layers to cover up the “bald” spots. I know! Blu-stic! Thompson make this super sticky adhesive (far gooier than klyr-fire*) for applying cloisonne wires, foils, etc. 
So I coat the piece lightly with Blu-stic, coated thoroughly with enamel and let it dry.
I go to torch enamel, with a bit of excitement.
The Blu-stic starts to bubble a bit, unfortunate, but not unexpected, then….

Catches Fire?!  Oh, the stink!  I quenched the piece ASAP, but wow! Yuck.

Not Exactly the Aqua Blue I was going for:/

Moral: I do not recommend Blu-stic for torch firing.

~margarita

*Who names this stuff??