What Is Vitreous Enameling

What is Vitreous Enameling     by Holly Carter

On June 19, 2019, we took a departure from the norm. The Bead Society normally has speakers on the subject of beads and beading. However, Holly Carter took us down a related pathway into the field of enameling and how it is used to create jewelry, sculptures, pendants, beads as well as toggles ~ hence the throwback to beads and beading.  Enameling, as we think we know it, is fairly new to the U.S.  It has been used throughout the world for thousands of years in many forms; but here, it wasn’t popular as an art form, other than for use in jewelry, until the 20th century.

Enamel work can stand alone as a single art or jewelry piece, or it can be used as part of a greater piece, such as a focal pendant accented with beads or as the bead itself. Holly explained what enameling is and showed slides as well as gorgeous examples of some of the popular techniques used in the past and today. She brought examples of her own enamel work, as well as offered a presentation of the work of members of the Northern California Enamel Guild, which covers Northern California – primarily from around the East Bay and Sacramento (NCEG).

She included a description of what the NCEG, founded by June Schwartz (1918-2015), is:  The Mission Statement:  To support artists and the art of enameling through encouragement, information, instruction, fellowship, and inspiration.  Holly also discussed the importance of the exhibition “Little Dreams In Glass And Metal, Enameling In America, 1920 To The Present” organized by the Los Angeles-based Enamel Arts Foundation, as well as other enamel arts organizations in California and elsewhere that are working to preserve the art of enamel and enamel education.

Ground glass powders and pigments that are applied to metal using various techniques and fired in a kiln or with a torch at approximately 1500° for about 1-1/2 minutes.  When the glass powders are heated, they become molten and fuse onto the metals – copper, silver, gold, steel, brass, etc.  As in most art, the results are limited only by the imagination of the artists.

However, in order to create these wonderful unique pieces of art, many elements are necessary, even for a single piece:  proper tools such as, rubber gloves, a good dust mask or respirator, dark goggles, a tripod with screen, various liquids, brushes, tweezers, a trivet, alundum stone, scoop, a powder sifter, a torch or a kiln, a packing tool, a firing rack, and a firing fork.  BUT once you gather all of these goodies and take a class, you are ready to really play!  Many artists find that their kitchen holds even more creative tools, and some enamellists use glass seed beads as well.– see, yet another link to beads.  The enamel work usually takes at least three firings or more.  Knowing that the metal is also counter enameled, which is firing on the back of the piece, gave us an indication of how much work was really involved in creating the pieces we viewed that evening.

Often, a piece is sketched out to show what color goes where, but many pieces are freeform and abstract. Once 3-dimensional metal pieces are created using many metalworking processes, a special adhesive may be used to attach the enamel powder to the piece so that it will not slide off before and during the firing process. Many techniques require a base coat of white enamel before the color is added, although it is not required.

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Holly J. Carter moved to the Richmond, CA area five-and-a-half years ago, and is an internationally known metals artist and educator. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metals from Arizona State University, with a minor in Interior Design History. Her body of work consists of fine art jewelry, small sculpture, and wall pieces with a concentration on fabrication, casting, and enameling.

Holly is also a member of The American Craft Council, The Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco (MAG), The Enamellist Society, and The Center for Enamel Art, and serves as President of The Northern California Enamel Guild (NCEG).  She has taught metalsmithing and jewelry making for the Edna Vihel Center for the Arts, Mesa Art Center, Phoenix Center for the Arts, Richmond Art Center, and The Crucible, as well as many small private studios.

Holly Carter was awarded Jurors’ Choice in the 2015 international juried “Lewton-Brain Foldform Competition”. Among her other accolades and accomplishments 2015-16, Holly was awarded a “PLAY 60, Play On” $24,000.00 grant from Kaboom, the 50 Fund & the NFL Foundation.  Holly designed and created the “Artful Play Welcome Area” at Grant Elementary School with Richmond students and volunteers, providing a safe place for families to wait and engage the community. Holly’s community involvement also leads her to become the assistant creator and event organizer for the ever-growing Annual Richmond “Trick or Treat on 23rd Street” event for Halloween, bringing together Richmond families, businesses, and city leaders in fun and community.

The Enamel Arts Foundation promotes and preserves enamel artists and is located in Los Angeles, CA and more information can be found at http://EnamelArts.org.  The Center for Enamel Art has a facility in Santa Rosa, CA which offers a giant kiln to use by artists, it also hosts lectures, symposiums, webinars, and conferences. The Center hopes to find a location in the East Bay where it will have a library, exhibits, and a standing gallery.

To contact Holly to learn more about enameling: holly@hollycarterart.com, or www.enamelguild.org.

By marilyn peters