Mary Raymond

As part of the City of Sydney Chinese New Year Festival in 2012, Craft NSW is hosting the Enamellers Association together with members of the Society of Arts and Crafts in an all-crafts exhibition, January 17 to February 12 at Craft NSW, 104 George Street, The Rocks.

Enamelling is old. Over 3000 years old. And no, it does not refer to paint.

Enamel is powdered glass fused to metal at temperatures in excess of 750 degrees centigrade. Many firings (as many as 20) are involved to achieve the depth of colour and sumptuous surfaces associated with the art form.

The glass is a mixture of silica, soda ash, potash, borax and specific metal oxides that are needed to make the colours - oxides of magnesium, barium, lead, zinc, aluminium and tin.

Enamels are either transparent, opalescent or opaque and the most preferred metals by jewellers and enamellers are

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copper, silver and gold. Once fused to the metal, enamels are permanent and if handled properly, will last for centuries.

The ancient Egyptians applied enamels to pottery and stone objects; the ancient Greeks and Celts to metals and the Romans on to glass vessels.

The middle ages saw the spread of enamelling and the use of other techniques including champleve, cloisonne, basse-taille, and ronde-bosse. The cloisonne technique reached China around the 14th century where it remains popular to this day.

In more recent times, enamels have become associated with such names as Faberge and Stubbs and with Art Nouveau. Many fine examples are in European and American museums.

Enamellers learn techniques which draw heavily on the traditional methods passed down through the centuries.

Enamelling has changed markedly over the last decades. Students in the 60's and 70's were content to used pre-formed shapes with surface decoration. The 80's saw an integration of form and

surface, the 90's saw an expansion of materials, styles and techniques.

Enamelling is now valued for its ideas, inventiveness and content and is seen in jewellery, vessels, objects and installations.

Enamels are the reward of patience. It is an immensely satisfying craft, as simple as an enamel mug or pie plate or as complex as an intricate cloisonne art form. The surface is glossy, brilliant and tactile.

If you are interested in learning more about enamelling come along to 'Fusions' - it presents a wide variety of approaches that demonstrate the strength and breadth of enamel art today.

Rowena Lai

Irene Garran 'Dragon'

The Enamellers Association was formed in 1979 and although Sydney based, welcomes interstate and international members. The Association has counted among its membership some of the country's foremost practitioners in the art of enamelling.

The Enamellers Association aims to create public awareness and understanding of the medium. There are regular meetings to discuss techniques and organise workshops and exhibitions.

It provides a resource about available classes in art and craft institutions and recommends

independent enamelling instructors.

The Association works in conjunction with enamelling groups from other states to access overseas tutors who will then give workshops and demonstrations throughout Australia. Many of the Association members have their work on sale in galleries in all Australian states and overseas.

Exhibiting in 'Fusions' at Craft NSW, are Mary Raymond, Heather Calnan, Jimmy Lim, Rowena Lai, Ann Thomson, Irene Garran, Sally Aplin, Laura Haszard, Annette Clarke and Lyndan Blackman.

Visit the Association at enamellers.com.au or contact secretary@enamellers.com.au

Heather Calnan 'Desolation'

Heather Calnan

Heather is interested in pushing the three elements: heat metal and glass, to their limits and integrating enamels in mixed media. She relaxes by researching techniques, is influenced by information on other crafts, and seeks enamel experiences while travelling.

Her recent work includes fold forming and tooling of thin copper, ceramic inclusions of broken china, sand and rock pieces, and inlays of wire mesh and glass stringers.

Her pieces are experimental, textured and innovative and give pleasure and satisfaction in the making, and excitement in the discovery and use of varying techniques.

Heather Calnan 'Abstract'

Mary Raymond detail

Mary Raymond top 'Desert Dunes', bottom, bowl

Mary Raymond

I love enamel. For me, enamel was love at first sight. A friend showed me a few samples she made at night school and I instantly knew that this was what I wanted to do.

I love the glowing colours achieved by firing layers of transparent glass onto copper. The light shines through the glass and is reflected back by the copper. What I also like about enamel is that there are so many techniques to explore or create by experimentation.

Enamel is often used to enhance a piece of jewellery but I prefer to work larger. Enamel has been a wonderful journey for me selling my work in various galleries and progressing to large corporate murals.

I think there is one more reason. I am a frog and the studio is always lovely and warm in winter.

Laura Haszard 'Vietnam'

Laura Haszard

A few years ago, I discovered the art of enamelling and have been working exclusively with it ever since. I usually work in themes, currently exploring both nature and cityscapes, either representational or abstract.

I work mainly in the centuries old techniques of cloisonne and champleve. Cloisonne is where silver wire is formed into cells that make up a design, and these are then filled with glass.

Champleve, on the other hand, involves the creation of recesses or raised fields in the silver through etching, engraving, embossing or piercing and soldering. These fields are then filled with glass.

I use mainly Japanese transparent powdered glass enamel because of the vibrant colour range they offer. The brilliance of the transparent glass on silver is so beautiful.

I use fine silver in my designs to enhance that effect, as fine silver does not oxidise in the kiln.

Each piece takes between 8-24 hours to complete depending on the complexity and size of the design.

Laura Haszard 'City'

Laura Haszard

Sally Aplin 'Shelter'

Annette Clark

Sally Aplin 'Reflective Garden'

Jimmy Lim 'Rivers of Life'

Enamelling Workshops

Workshop Arts Centre,

33 Laurel Street, Willoughby

Introduction to Enamelling

Two Day Workshops

tutor: Sally Aplin

email: sallyaplin@gmail.com

phone 9958 6540 for booking

Cost $180

Mon 9 & Tues 10 January 10am-4pm

Wed 11 & Thurs 12 January 10am-4pm

Thurs 19 & Fri 20 January 10am-4pm

Sat 21 & Sun 22 January 10am-4pm

Robin Phillips 'Watercourse II'

Robin Phillips

I really love every aspect of making jewellery ... from working out the technicalities of a design on paper to seeing that design through to a completed piece. Every stage of the process is still exciting to me.

When it stops being exciting I'll probably stop making jewellery. Cloisonne enamelling for me is just the icing on the cake for a craft that I love.

I treat my enamels as I would a painting. As well as being well crafted beautiful objects, I want them to tell a story. Colour, texture and three-dimensional fluidity of form is what drew me to work with precious metals, gem stones and cloisonne. Natural imagery such as landscapes, light, movement, organic shapes and simplicity of form continually inspire my work.

I enjoy designing and creating my jewellery around a specific theme or stone. Often the stone dictates the direction the piece will take. I like using gold and silver together which adds depth, dimension and beautiful colour variations.

Robin Phillips 'Water Journey'

Robin Phillips top'Flower', bottom'Heart'