Blog 13
Well this is the last blog for the Professional Development bursary, It has been such a privilege to have been awarded this bursary, it has enabled me to try hot and cold enamelling , the hot I love and I will keep progressing with this, I have booked myself on to another short course with Dorothy Cockerell in January . I can really see where this technique will enhance my practice.
If you have never applied for a bursary give it a go, AN offer this bursary every year and I nearly didn’t apply, but I am so pleased I did . Thank you.
Blog 12
Sunday Higham Hall, can’t believe it the last day, today we are finishing off work , oh I forgot to say I did a small piece of silver wire work ,I finished this off this morning as well and a few other bits and pieces. It has been a fab few days and I feel I have learnt so much, thank you A.N for the opportunity by awarding me a bursary I have been able pursue a new field for my art, I feel that this will move my practice along giving me a new avenue to develop and hopefully great new things.
Blog 11
Saturday. I could have slept on , but I am up had breakfast and in the workshop by 9 , I am experimenting with lead free enamels using wet process, powders and water colours . yes you can get watercolors that are enamels. I also paint the decals with the water colour enamels a poppy decal and a house scene, it took three lots of firing to get the colours but worth the effort and a great complement to other enamel processes , I can see me using this style of enameling a lot in the future. Another 9:30 finish and one G&T then bed , last day tomorrow
Blog 10
Friday another sharp start but well worth it, today I am trying wet process this is where we dip the cleaned copper into we enamel dry it and then fire it, this gives a nice clean finish , tricky to do but practice practice practice ! I sift again onto the fired wet process fired copper , this time I made a tryptic horse image .I prepare another decal so tomorrow I can try the painting on enamel.
Again another late night 9:45 totally exhausted, both mentally and physically but having a fab time and learning loads.
Oh i forgot to add an image the one one where i said i tested bullseye glass rods so i will add it to this one
Blog 9
Thursday at Higham Hall : Breakfast at 8, in studio by 9 I start with going back to basics and doing some work with enamel , fluxing and counter enameling the copper then sifting and firing the enamel onto the surface, nice results. The longest part of the process is washing and removing fire scale at the sink! But if you don’t do it thoroughly it will ruin your work. I also get a second piece started and I am experimenting with mixing the enamels and some bullseye stringers which should not be compatible but they worked well, I prepare some decals onto the prepared copper so I can do some painting will test more of this tomorrow. another late night we don’t get out of the studio until 9.30 pm Gin and Tonic calls again just the one then off to bed another long day tomorrow .
