Please welcome the following new members:
Patricia Aiken
Jennifer Archie
(Tammy) Young Eun Kim
Nancy Monkman
LoRita Ungar
Wu Ching-chih
Anne Nordgren
June Schwartz will be showing her current work at the Richmond Art Center, April 3– June 2, 2012. See information below under Exhibitions.
Jan Harrell’s new body of work, "Offerings-Gifts for the Muse", will be shown at The Mesa Art Center in Mesa Arizona. Exhibition Dates for the one-woman show: April 6–August 12, 2012. Opening Reception: Friday, May 25 (Members Preview: 6:00–7:00pm, Public Reception: 7:00–10:00pm.) The opening will occur during the SNAG conference [see general enamel news].
Two pieces from the Vanitas grouping of Jan’s were purchased by the Portable Works Collection of the City of Houston – and will be part of the permanent collection of the Houston Airport System – on display at Intercontinental Airport – The two pieces were the Nailbrush and the Nail Buffer. Jan also will be teaching 2 two-day workshops in Newark for the 20th anniversary year of the EGNE, April 26–April 30.
Alex and Mona Szabados won best of show at this year’s La Quinta Art Festival.
Marianne Hunter will be a guest lecturer at GIA May 2, 2012 at the Carlsbad Campus. Her presentation for students and faculty “INTERSECTIONS of CREATIVITY: Gems and the Imagination” will illustrate through her work, the creative inspiration that can be found in and beyond traditional material uses. She will address creating pathways to artistic inventiveness. The lecture will be an updated and expanded reprise of her 2007 presentation on the subject at GIA.
Cynthia Miller’s "Summer Sky", a 2012 National NICHE Finalist, is at the Phoenix Airport, Terminal 3.
Judy Stone and Deborah Lozier are taking part in “sheRose of our Time: A Tribute to the First Lady, Michele Obama” at the Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St in Oakland, CA. The show runs from March 2 through April 18.
Jan Harrell, Judy Stone, and Delia DeLapp are taking part in the exhibition ‘Harold Balazs and his Enameling Friends’ at The Art Spirit Gallery, Coeur D’Alene, ID, April 13–May 5, 2012.
Daria Salus has an article about her in the Arts Business Institute Newsletter. She will also be showing her work at the following local crafts shows in May and June: May 6, Saratoga Rotary Art Show ; May 19–20, Los Altos Rotary Fine Art Show; and June 9–10, Berkeley’s Live Oak Park Fair.
Please send all membership news including recent exhibitions, awards, or anything that might be of interest to enamelists to Judy Stone.
NCEG Status Report
At the end of last year NCEG president, Anna Tai, made a plea for an influx of new energy to run the Northern California Enamel Guild. The reason for the plea was that the board, which consists of Anna Tai, Maryland Edwards, Roberta Smith, Lauren O’Connor, and me, has been in place from 15 to 2 years, Lauren being the newest member of the board and me being the oldest and longest tenured board member. We want to pass the responsibility for running the organization on to younger, more energetic enamelists, who have new ideas for outreach and networking, for educational programs for our membership and the public, and who are themselves enameling and loving the medium. This status report on the health of the guild is a summary of what has happened since Anna Tai’s letter to the guild was published. It is also a road map of where we need to go to get to where we want to be if we are to continue in existence after this year.
Right now the NCEG has several scheduled events in 2012. We are sponsoring the Shana Kroiz workshop in August at the Richmond Art Center and the ‘Beyond Borders’ enamel exhibition, also at the Richmond Art Center in the Fall. In October, we will hold a one-day conference and 2-day workshop at Richmond. We are doing these events with the help of Ed Lay who is a NCEG member and the enameling instructor at the Richmond Art Center. The success of the events will depend on how many volunteers we can get to set up and take down the exhibition and to help with the workshops and conference. If you would like to volunteer with these events please contact Judy Stone.
In answer to our asking for help with the newsletter, we now have a new newsletter editor, Evelyn Markasky, and a wonderful columnist who will contribute regular columns, Delia DeLapp. Evelyn lives in Santa Cruz and Delia in Boise, ID. Alana Clearlake, our former president, has also offered to compose the Where-to-Show column for the newsletter. Alana lives over 2 hours from the Bay Area. Because the newsletter is a digital effort we can incorporate writing from any number of interested contributors. The newsletter is really a group effort but Anna Tai and I are still doing most of the gathering of information and writing. We need help in order to pass these tasks on to other people.
Maryland Edwards designed our website and is in the process of redesigning it to make it easier to use and more attractive to look at. She is responsible for maintaining the site, creating all of our forms, and troubleshooting all of our digital problems. She also works full time at NASA and has very little time to put into working on the website. Our website needs an upgrade in design, but it also needs an upgrade in content. We want to establish an active members’ gallery and an exclusive membership section for our members but we also need to make the site a source of up-to-date-information for anyone who wants to access it. We need a presence in social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Crafthaus, so that we can broadcast events to the broader public. We also want to incorporate blogs and feedback into our web presence. Anyone who is willing to work on any of these projects is welcome.
I for one have been very pleased that a few of our members stepped forward to take on some tasks in the NCEG. However, we are one-quarter of the way into 2012 and there have been no takers for leadership roles in the organization. We on the board realize that geographical distance is a hindrance to having organizational meetings in one central location and also makes face-to-face communication fairly difficult. We have had to remind ourselves that we are providing good things for our membership even with the minimum amount of people doing all the work.
We don’t want to have to dissolve the NCEG so we have come up with an alternative that might work. If we can continue to put out the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis and upgrade the website so that we have timely news, information, and resources available we can survive without sponsoring any programs. What would make the NCEG really work is if groups of like-minded enamelists and their supporters start forming geographical sub-groups of the NCEG. We could hold a once-a-year conference where everyone could get together and perhaps, out of that, new leadership would emerge. There would be no more juried exhibitions unless someone steps in to organize them. There would be no more workshops sponsored by the guild, no more meetings that include small demonstrations of techniques by our members, and no other programs or meetings.
If you want more from the guild we need your ideas and your energy. The NCEG has been in existence since 1974. Our members have grown old, some have passed away, and many have moved or stopped enameling. Nevertheless there is a nascent enameling community out there that could use some cohesion and support. There is a large public out there which still knows nothing about what we do and why. I have been in the marketplace since 1972 and it has been a struggle the whole time to make enameling a visible, viable, and ’legitimate’ medium in which to work. Only the support I have gotten from our small enameling community has kept me going when I have often felt despair.
I hope you will pass the word and test the waters to see if we can all gather around the concept of a revitalized organization that exists to educate the public and promote and support enameling.
Thank you, Judy Stone, for the NCEG
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Beyond Borders Deadline Fast Approaching
The deadline for the 11th Biennial International Juried Exhibition sponsored by the NCEG is April 6th. Please go to: http://www.enamelguild.org/NCEG/activitiesExhibitEntryForm-2012.php to fill out your entry form. The show prospectus can be found at: http://www.enamelguild.org/NCEG/activitiesExhibition-prospectus2012.php.
Experimental Enameling on Electroforms
A Workshop with Shana Kroiz
August 6–9, Monday through Thursday, from 10:00am–5:00pm at the Richmond Art Center.
Cost: $375 plus $10 materials fee
This Workshop will discuss the setup and use of copper electroforming and how to enamel with many different enameling techniques onto the electroformed surfaces. During this workshop, participants will electroform hollow copper pieces to later be enameled. Shana Kroiz will demonstrate several experimental enameling techniques that can later be done on the forms created in this workshop. Electroforming is a great way to enamel on three-dimensional forms while keeping the weight light enough to wear the pieces as jewelry.
Native Baltimorean Shana Kroiz is acknowledged as one of the country's leading experimental enamelists and jewelry educators. Throughout her career, Shana has been involved in teaching and promoting the growth of jewelry as a recognizable art form. Shana is currently the Special Events and Workshop Coordinator of the Maryland Institute College of Art Jewelry Center, which she founded in 1992, and where she works as an instructor and studio artist. Previously, Shana was the Director of the 92nd Street Y’s Jewelry Center in NYC.
The workshop is sponsored by the NCEG and open to anyone. Registration for the workshop will begin the middle of April. Go to www.enamelguild.org to register. The NCEG will be offering scholarships for this workshop. For scholarship details please contact Judy Stone.
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In Memoriam - Irmgard Carpenter
Irmgard Carpenter, wife of Woodrow Carpenter, passed away on March 28th. She was an integral part of the workings of Thompson Enamel and a constant companion to Mr. Carpenter. She will be missed. The Northern California Enamel Guild sends condolences. Online condolences can be given at www.dmefuneral.com.
Exhibitions
At The Oakland Museum of California
Presented in conjunction with the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Oakland Museum of California presents a retrospective exhibition on the work of pioneer jeweler, Margaret De Patta. A seminal figure in the American Modernist Jewelry movement, De Patta was born in 1903 and moved to the Bay Area in 1923. Distinguished as one of the few American jewelers whose work and ideas were allied to the evolving ideas presented in the modern art movement, De Patta’s work was heavily influenced by the Constructivists and features architectural forms with simple lines, structure, and often movable parts. Space-Light-Structure: The Jewelry of Margaret De Patta features more than 60 jewelry pieces as well as ceramics, flatware, photographs, pictograms, and newly released archival material. OMCA holds the largest collection of De Patta’s work, most of which was donated by her husband, Eugene Bielawski, after the artist’s untimely death in 1964.
Lecture and discussion
April 26, 7:30–9:00pm
CCA Oakland Campus, Nahl Hall
5212 Broadway, Oakland CA 94618-1426
$5 for non-MAG members and non-CCA students/staff
In remembrance of Margaret De Patta (MAG’s first president and founder), MAG is honoring her with this Remembering Margaret program, running simultaneously with her retrospective at the Oakland Museum of California. Oakland curator, Julie Muniz, is giving a presentation on her life and interesting, lesser-known facts about her work. After the presentation there will be an informal discussion with Margaret’s contemporaries, reminiscing about her life.
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John Chiara, Echo Lake at Meyers Grade (Panorama), 50'' x 288'', Dye Destruction Process, Unique Photograph, 2010 |
June Schwarcz, #2326, 19 x 21.5 x 13.3 cm, Foil, enamel: electroplated, 2007 |
In Conversation: June Schwarcz and John Chiara at the Richmond Art Center
Originating from the inspiration each of these artists derives from the other, this exhibition creates a unique dialogue between the work of legendary enamel artist June Schwarcz and pioneering camera obscura photographer, John Chiara. Curated by Muriel Maffre, John Chiara and Emily Anderson.
April 3–June 2, 2012
Reception: April 14, 2:00–4:00pm
San Diego’s Craft Revolution: From Post-War Modern to California Design
Through April 12, 2012
Collection Source: Mingei International Museum, Plaza and Theater Galleries
This local exhibition will reveal the important contribution of San Diego craftsmen to the post-war Southern California art scene. The progression from sleek modernism to unconventional handmade objects of use such as furniture, doors, jewelry and ceramics will be explored. Many of these San Diego-based artists received national attention and participated in major Los Angeles exhibitions, including the California Design series held in Pasadena and Los Angeles. This exhibition will feature over 60 artists including Toza and Ruth Radakovich, Rhoda Lopez, Jack Hopkins, Arline Fisch, Ellamarie and Jackson Woolley, Larry Hunter, Kay Whitcomb, and James Hubbell.
Mingei International Museum
1439 El Prado
San Diego CA 92101
HOURS
Tuesday – Sunday 10:00am– 4:00pm
Closed Mondays and national holidays
School and group tours by appointment
ADMISSION
$8.00 – Adults
$5.00 – Seniors, youth (6–17), students with ID and military with ID
$5.00 – Group Tour Rates (10 or more)
Free – Members and children under 6
The following enamel exhibitions are being held in conjunction with the 2012 SNAG conference in Scottsdale, AZ.
"Offerings--Gifts for the Muse: Work by Jan Arthur Harrell"
April 6-August 12, 2012
Mesa Arts Center, Project Room
1 East Main Street, Mesa, AZ, 480-644-6561
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"Cupcake with Cover-Offerings Series," photo by Jack Zilker |
"Heat Exchange: A Cross-Continental Survey of Enamel"
Coordinators: Beate Gegenwart, Elizabeth Turrell, and Melissa Cameron
Brings together artists, passionate about vitreous enamel and located in North America, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, who will exchange ideas and inspirations across the continents via the main interface of a blog. The resulting exhibition will show exciting, new works created in response to this interchange.
5005 East Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ, 602-262-4727
Heat Exchange Blog [note: this blog is excellent]
Events
PMC Conference
June 21-23, 2012
The PMC Guild recently announced plans for the 2012 PMC Conference at Fort Mitchell, KY. The conference website is up and running, and early registration has been strong. In addition to the conference itself, the PMC Guild is offering pre-conference classes, to be held the Tuesday and Wednesday before the conference, on June 19-20, in the same location as the conference. A virtual exhibition will accompany the conference. This is the final conference. The PMC Guild is ceasing operations in 2012, and the conference is their farewell celebration.
Enamel Presentations at The Crucible Open House on April 7 and Crucible Fireside Lounge on May 11
The Open House at The Crucible in Oakland on April 7 will have a special theme of science and art. All departments will be giving hands on scientific demonstrations, the enamel department included. The enamel demonstration will consist of an exploration of enamel particle size and is scheduled throughout the afternoon. The open houses are wonderful fun for the whole family. On May 11, the enamel department will be featured in the Fireside Lounge with the theme, Made in Oakland.
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Revere Academy now offering webinars!
April 28-29, 2012, from 9 am to 5 pm the Revere Academy will offer its first webinar class, in conjunction with the 2012 Masters Symposium class, “Prepare for Success.” This class is designed to give artists the skills they need to succeed in running their own businesses.
This is a special opportunity for jewelers and artists all over the country to study with Harriete Estel Berman, a professional artist and creator of The Professional Guidelines, to learn how to use the power of social networking, blogs, and web sites to develop visibility and get their work noticed. More information....
Special Workshop In LA
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Workshop student project from Catherine Witherell |
Fred Ball’s Experimental Enameling Techniques
Friday through Sunday, April 20,21,22 10 am-5pm
Instructor: Judy Stone
$320 materials included
At the studio of Gian Joller
5086 Alhambra Ave., L.A., CA. 90032
jewelryandenamelworkshops@gmail.com
818-284-9583
Attention! As a NCEG member, The Crucible is offering you a member discount on any class, (this equals 10% off of tuition) that you sign up for. If you are already or become a Crucible member, you receive an additional 5% off of tuition for a 15% saving. Note: cost in catalog is tuition plus materials. To take advantage of this offer, you can only register by phone by calling 510-444-0919. Your discount code is ENL12NCEG. |
The Crucible’s enameling department is growing. The department now has 7 part-time faculty members. Class sizes are limited to 8 students in a fully furnished enamel studio with access to The Crucible’s jewelry studio. Judy Stone is enamel department head. If you are planning on attending Crucible classes and live out of the Bay Area, please contact the Crucible for information on low cost hotel accommodations and public transit connections to The Crucible.
For more information visit http://www.thecrucible.org.
Introduction to Enameling 1 - (Weekend Intensive)
April 28–29 and June 23–24 (weekend intensive), 10:00am–5:00pm
Instructor: Judy Stone and Katy Joksch
Sign up for this class at the same time as more advanced course in Enameling and receive a $40 discount on the more advanced class.
Cost: $275.00 (Tuition: $235.00, Studio Fee: $40.00), Members: $251.50
Introduction to Enameling 1-(Weeknights – 5 weeks)
Thursdays, 7:00–10:00pm April 26–May 24
Instructors: Katy Joksch, Taylor Bobowicz
$275.00 (Tuition: $235.00, Studio Fee: $40.00), Members: $251.50
Introduction to Enameling 2 – 5 Weeks
Tuesdays, May 29 – June 26, 7:00–10:00pm
Instructor: Judy Stone
Cost: $265.00 (Tuition: $220.00, Studio Fee: $45.00), Members: $243.00
Fred Ball Experimental Enameling Technique - Spring 2012 - Section A
Wednesdays, May 30 – June 27, 7:00–10:00pm
Instructor: Judy Stone
Fred Uhl Ball (1945-1985) was an enamelist who lived and taught in Sacramento. His work is currently undergoing a revival. Ball’s techniques and approach to enameling were viewed as highly unorthodox at the time but created a firm basis for current contemporary enameling. The techniques he wrote about in his out-of-print Experimental Techniques in Enameling (1973) included working with fire scale, creating collages, using liquid enamel and other materials associated with the porcelain enamel industry, over- and under-firing, and much more. Explore a wide range of Ball’s techniques with Judy Stone, whose own work was greatly influenced by Fred Ball’s book.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or permission of instructor
Cost: $265.00 (Tuition: $220.00, Studio Fee: $45.00), Members: $243.00
Art Clay Silver and Enameling - Spring 2012 - Section A
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am–4:30pm, May 5–6
Instructors: Arlene Mornick and Judy Stone
Previous experience required.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Art Clay Silver & Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
Cost: $285.00 (Tuition: $195.00, Studio Fee: $90.00), Members: $265.50
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am–4:00pm May 12
Instructor: Judy Stone
This one-day workshop introduces you to enameling three-dimensional metal forms. You’ll work with soft copper sheet, mesh and copper wire, learn to plan for adding enamel to form, and how to fire forms. Spray equipment and some industrial enameling materials and traditional jewelry enamels will be used. No previous enameling or metalworking knowledge is necessary.
Cost: $145.00 (Tuition: $110.00, Studio Fee: $35.00), Members: $134.00
Limoges: Enamel Painting - Spring 2012 - Section A
Saturday & Sunday 10:00–5:00pm, May 19–May 20
Instructor: Roberta Smith
Working with metal oxides and over-glazes mixed with various oils creates what are known as “painting” enamels. Painting enamels give the enamelist a means to achieve fine detail and the immediacy of the hand-drawn line, as well as to simulate delicate watercolor washes. This enameling technique, sometimes known as Limoges, first appeared in medieval Limoges, France, and is practiced most prolifically today in Russia. In this workshop you will learn how to prepare a small piece of copper prior to applying and firing painting enamels. You will learn how to prepare painting enamels, and the different methods of working with the materials. Previous enameling experience is a prerequisite for this workshop.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or permission of instructor
Cost: $275.00 (Tuition: $240.00, Studio Fee: $35.00), Members: $251.00
Plique-A-Jour / Enameling Techniques - Spring 2012 - Section A
Saturday & Sunday 10:00–6:00pm
June 30–July 1
Instructor: Olga Barmina
Plique-a-jour (French: “open to light”) is the most admired of the many enameling techniques with French names. Enamel is fired into a backless frame creating a luminous effect similar to looking through a stained glass window. In this class you will learn how to design, make and finish pierced plique-à-jour pieces, sawing out metal and filling the spaces with vitreous enamel. We will work with fine silver and various enamels to make pendants and earrings.
Prerequisite: Intro to Enameling 1 and Intro to Jewelry A or the equivalent with permission of the instructor
Cost: $325.00 (Tuition: $250.00, Studio Fee: $75.00), Members: $300.00
Photographic Transfer and Decals on Enamels (4-Day Intensive) - Summer 2012 - Section A
Monday–Thursday 10:00am–5:00pm
August 13–August 16
Instructors: Chris Spurrell, Roberta Smith
Discover the potential of fusing photographic images onto an enamel surface. Through the photographic process of gum bichromate, we will transfer photos, collected images or drawings to enamel. We will create photograms with stencils or found objects on enamel. If you’ve ever wished you could combine a photograph into a permanent medium such as enamel, or love exploring and making discoveries with experimental techniques, this is the class for you. In addition, we will learn how to create our own decals with inexpensive water-slide paper to be applied to enamel surfaces.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or an equivalent approved by instructor
Cost: $370.00 (Tuition: $320.00, Studio Fee: $50.00), Members: $338.00
Enameling Lab - Spring 2012 - Section A
Thursdays 3:00–6:00pm
May 31–June 28
Class size: 6
Duration: 5 sessions
Lab Assistant: Jennifer Zahrt
Studio Access Labs provide an opportunity to hone the skills you’ve learned in class, without having to spend a fortune setting up your own shop. Finish that elusive project, or start a new one in a specified area at The Crucible.
Studio Access Lab time is monitored but not instructional. You must be a member to access these labs. Pre-qualification in an area or instructor approval are required if you have not taken a class in the area. You may only use the studio area for which you have signed up. You may use it as much as you like during the scheduled hours.
Cost is $133
For more information contact Judy Stone.
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
April 7–8, 2012 9:00am–5:00pm
Instructor: Deborah Lozier
$399 + $125 kit
April 14 and 15, 10:00am–4:00pm
Instructor: Gabrielle Castonguay
Member: $165.00
Non-member: $200.00
April 20- May 11, 10 am-4 pm
Instructor: Gabrielle Castonguay
Move beyond basic enameling with this exploration of advanced glass on metal artistry. Fuse glass to metal, using opaque and transparent enamels to bring out a variety of textures, colors and intensities. Combine traditional and nontraditional enameling and use the medium to create objects of beauty. Explore metal prep for enameling, oil in enamel, sgraffito, wet inlay, liquid enamel, silver foil and more. Basic enameling experience necessary. Materials fee to instructor. Students provide metal.
Member: $200.00
Non-member: $235.00
April 16–30, 10:00am–4:00pm
Instructor: Gabrielle Castonguay
Member: $135.00
Non-member: $160.00
Saturdays 4/21-6/9, 12:00–3:00pm
Instructor: Risha Bond
Brilliant color on the surface of metal is a rich art form dating back to ancient times. Students will produce jewelry using a contemporary approach to traditional techniques including cloisonné, basse-taille, roller printing and Limoges. We will work in silver and copper. All levels.
May 26–28, 2012, Saturday–Monday, 9:30am–4:30pm
Instructor: Deborah Lozier
Current Mendocino County MAC Members: $250
Current MAC Members: $265
Non-members: $295 plus a non-refundable $25 non-member registration fee
Drawing and Painting with Enamel
June 23–24, 2012 (Saturday–Sunday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
Instructor: Nikki Couppee
This workshop will focus on drawing and painting with the use of vitreous enamels on copper and porcelain steel. Liquid, watercolor and oil based enamels will all be used in this course as well as drawing with graphite, ceramic oxide pencils and pastels. Previous drawing and painting experience is a plus but not required as the instructor will discuss color theory, composition, and different painting techniques.
Current Mendocino County MAC Members: $182
Current MAC Members: $193
Non-members: $215 plus a non-refundable $25 non-member registration fee
July 23–27, 2012 (Monday–Friday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
Instructor: Ricky Frank
Current Mendocino County MAC Members: $510
Current MAC Members: $540
Non-members: $600 plus a non-refundable $25 non-member registration fee
Cloisonné and Champlevé Enameling, 2 & 3 Dimensional
July 30–August 3, 2012 (Monday–Friday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
Instructor: Patsy Croft
Spend five or ten days in this beautiful location and learn to fuse high karat metals to create a canvas waiting to receive beautiful enamels. First you will be able to fuse cloisonné wires to a fine silver base so they will never fall over. You can stop here with the fusion techniques, or move on and take this knowledge to make three-dimensional forms in cloisonné. Once your jewel is built, absorb all the enameling information you can from Patsy such as theory, color gradation, enamels that sparkle, and setting stones in the enamel, as well as polishing. Each student will create their own designs throughout with individual attention to complete their project.
Current Mendocino County MAC Members: $510
Current MAC Members: $540
Non-members: $600 plus a non-refundable $25 non-member registration fee
August 6–10, 2012 (Monday–Friday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
Instructor: Patsy Croft
Patsy Croft is offering a second week to continue and complete your jewel of two-dimensional or three-dimensional cloisonné. In the past three years teaching this class, students always need more time. With the weekend to rest up, we will begin Monday morning fresh and complete your three-dimensional jewel or make a setting of your two-dimensional cloisonné piece. If you did not join me in the first week, come in and learn to design and make settings in gold or silver, or a combination of both and accent your creation with gemstones. Each student will receive one on one instruction on their design and how to carry it through to completion.
Current Mendocino County MAC Members: $510
Current MAC Members: $540
Non-members: $600 plus a non-refundable $25 non-member registration fee
Champleve Jewelry Using Laser Etched Acrylic Models
August 24–26, 2012 (Friday–Sunday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
Instructors: Dr. John Cornacchia and Marge Stewart
Students will learn to create enameled jewelry using an exciting new laser etch technique. Prior to arrival, students will submit two digital drawings for acrylic models to be cut by laser and cast in fine silver. The class will visit the instructor’s studio, run the laser and set-up a casting run. Next we will prep the cast pieces using basic metal forming and polishing techniques. After wet packing and firing our enamels we will polish the pieces using Foredom hand polishing tools.
Current Mendocino County MAC Members: $255
Current MAC Members: $275
Non-members: $300 plus a non-refundable $25 non-member registration fee
Enameling the Basics
5 weeks 5/5/2012-6/1/2012, 10 am-1 pm
Instructor: Olivia Competente
Class fee $98/$108
Plique-a-Jour Enameling
5 weeks 5/5/2012-6/1/2012, 1:30-4:30 pm
Instructor: Olivia Competente
Class fee $70/$80
Monkey Girl Beads
1127 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, CA
Cloisonné Class
Saturday June 23, 2012, 9AM to 5 PM
Instructor: Sandra Ellen Bradshaw
Cost: $100 per person.
For further information or to enroll phone 831-469-8226 or email:
sandie@sandelle.com. Limit 10 students. Must be pre-enrolled to attend.
Enamel Exhibitions
Deadline: April 6, 2012
Beyond Borders: Experimentation and Innovation in Enamel
September 15, 2012 through November 9, 2012
At The Richmond Art Center
The Northern California Enamel Guild is sponsoring their 11th International Juried Enamel Exhibition. The exhibition will include functional and non-functional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional works that illustrate the wide scope of artwork created by the enameling process. Up to 3 pieces may be entered. Jurors are Merry Lee Rae, Martha Banyas and Nancy Servis. A complete prospectus and link to entry form are available here.
Deadline April 6, 2012
46th International Exhibition of Japan Enamelling Artist Association
July 25–31, 2012 at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
The Japan Enamelling Artist Association is organizing the exhibition "All Enamel Work for Creating Beauty". Artist may submit up to 3 entries. Entries classified as flat, 3-dimensional or accessory. A complete prospectus and entry form are available here.
Deadline: June 1, 2012
Enamelist Society On-Line Student Exhibition
September, 2012 – March, 2013
Two- or three-dimensional vitreous enamel works of original design completed after January 1, 2009 are eligible. Students may be enrolled in any academic institution, art center, craft program, individual studio education program or self-taught. For this exhibition, a student must have less than 4 years’ experience in enameling. A complete prospectus and on-line entry form are available at the Society website.
Deadline August 31, 2012
Dutch Biennial Exhibition of Enamelled Art
November 24, 2012 to January 21, 2013 at Kempenhoff, Valkenhof, the Netherlands.
An entry form and complete information is available here. Contact Mary Mulder via email for additional information.
Other Exhibitions
Deadline April 10, 2012
Curator's Corner
Curator's Corner is a space within the gallery which allows a small body of work from one artist to be featured at the same time as select group shows.
Deadline April 14, 2012
Fish Follies
For International artists. All media, fish or maritime related.
Deadline: April 15, 2012
'Look At Us Now!' Innovations in Metal Clay
The 2012 PMC Guild conference exhibition. Up to 6 pieces may be entered with no fee for entry.
Complete information available here.
Arts and Crafts Shows
Deadline April 16, 2012
Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival 2012
Show Dates: 9/15/12 - 9/16/12
Deadline April 20, 2012
California State Fair
July 12-29
http://www.bigfun.org/2012-competition-contest-award-information/adult-competitions/
(has an enameling category)
Entry online or by mail.
Deadline: 04-01-2012
From the Flame
6/22/12 to 7/21/12
An exhibition of Bay Area (and surrounding areas) Glass and Ceramics. Accepting enamel work, may enter up to 10 pieces.
Olive Hyde Art Gallery, Fremont, CA
Blogs and Blogposts about Enamel and Enameling
The internet has made the life of many enamelists much easier in the past 2 years. There has been not only a proliferation of informational websites but the blogosphere has become populated with various blogs that mostly are about enameling, enamelists and their work. Here are a few blogs that you might want to follow... Or maybe it is time to start your own blog.
http://heat-exchange.crimsoncactus.net/
http://grainsofglass.ning.com/profiles/blog/list
http://ruthballenamel.blogspot.com/
http://imagocorvi.blogspot.com/
http://ganoksin.com/blog/lillianjones/
http://enamelartiststeam.blogspot.com/
http://helencarnac.wordpress.com/each-other/
http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/
My Electroforming Mission
By Delia DeLapp
I was researching online for enamel artists last year and discovered the work of the famous June Schwarcz. I was immediately intrigued by the beautiful organic quality of her work and decided that I needed to learn electroforming. I purchased a kit on the Internet, complete with a glass beaker and a 3-amp rectifier, and attempted to master this process at home. I was unsuccessful and abandoned the pursuit until I signed up for the electroforming workshop led by Shana Kroiz at the Enamel Conference in Tennessee. I was very eager to obtain the tried-and-true tricks and see a real tank in action. I have since built my own 20-gallon electroforming tank and have had amazing results that are akin to magic! A testament to the value of workshops and great teachers.
In order to save money, I used a fish tank complete with the filter and air pump and then reinforced the interior seams with clear silicone. A 25-amp rectifier power source was purchased from eBay; the copper conductive paint from safersolutions.com; titanium hooks for the copper anode bars, and propylene bags from Technix.com; and white plastic 1-inch PVC pipe and corners, 1-inch copper pipe, brass fittings, and plastic screws for the titanium hooks from Home Depot. I almost had a heart attack when I purchased the Midas copper electroforming solution and an extra bottle of brightener from Rio Grande. These materials cost approximately $1,000 to fill my 20-gallon tank. I attempted to find them cheaper, and in bigger bottles, but I couldn’t find a retailer. The only redeeming part about the investment is that if you run your fish tank filter in between electroplating, place your copper anode bars in propylene bags, continually fill the tank with distilled water when evaporation occurs, and occasionally add a few drops of brightener into the solution, your bath should last a lifetime.
The most difficult part of putting the tank together was creating the air system inside it. Shana had suggested that there should be tiny air bubbles continually moving the solution to provide an even coating on the pieces. Home Depot sold the brass fittings
that were used to step down from a 1-inch PVC pipe to ¼” plastic tubing. The drawing and photos provided with this article show the configuration of the air system with the needle-sized hole at the bottom center pipe. I glued the pipe and corner connectors together with PVC primer and ABS cement.
Shana began the electroforming process by coating her objects with clear satin lacquer – usually wax pieces so she can melt out the wax and enamel the form. She glued them with 2-part epoxy to a soldered copper wire tree structure. Following that, she painted copper conductive paint to the surface, making sure the glue connections were well coated. Shana then wrapped the end of the copper tree through a pre-drilled hole in the center copper pipe, making sure to center the pieces between the copper bar anodes. She connected the negative (black) connector to the bar holding the pieces and the positives (red) connectors to the copper bar anodes. To get a smooth copper coating thick enough for enameling, the rectifier should maintain a 3-amp current for approximately 3 days.
She turned the rectifier off when she pulled the pieces out to check the plating. If any piece had spots that weren’t coated, she sprayed water on it, lightly paper-toweled it off, and re-coated the spots. She let the piece dry and placed it back in the bath with the rectifier still off. It pickled the piece to eliminate any oxidation that might have occurred. If plating does not happen at all, it is likely due to bad connections. Shana made sure that the copper tubing was scrubbed with steel wool and all the glue connections were coated with conductive paint. If for any reason the solution needs to be discarded, she said to pour baking soda in it and wait until it stops bubbling. This will neutralize it. If the tank won’t be used for a while, she suggested taking the copper bars out, placing them in a bucket of water, and then scrubbing them with steel wool before placing them back in.
During the conference, the Enamel Society was auctioning off stunning electroformed bracelets created by June Schwarcz. I now own one and feel I have come full circle in my electroforming mission. Thank you, Shana!
Ethical Metalsmiths is reviewing applications for its online Jeweler
Directory.
Each jeweler is featured on a full page, with a large image, business description, personal statement and link to their website. The directory connects consumers seeking ethically sourced jewelry to makers by name, location, specialties and key words. As it grows, the directory will be widely advertised and promoted.
How "green" do you have to be?
There isn't a one-size-fits-all checklist to evaluate ethicalness.
Ethical Metalsmiths is looking for jewelers who are committed to building ethics and sustainability into their businesses. Ethical practices include such things as choosing responsibly sourced materials, promoting supply chain transparency, adopting sustainable studio practices, staying informed and supporting mining reform efforts.
Have a look! Visit the Ethical Metalsmiths
<http://www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org/> website and Jeweler Directory. Detailed information about ethical practices and application information are available online.
The cost is $100. Think of it this way. For less than 30 cents a day, you can promote your work and ethical values online, and be available to consumers who are seeking ethical jewelry for a full year, 24/7. (For a limited time, the $25.00 set-up fee is waived.)
Profits are used to maintain and promote the directory as well support Ethical Metalsmiths' programs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: mail@ethicalmetalsmiths.org
Ethical Metalsmiths is a non-profit committed to leading jewelers and consumers in becoming informed activists for responsible mining, sustainable economic development and verified, ethical sources for gold, diamonds and other materials used for jewelry. Ethical Metalsmiths' vision is a world in which people can create and enjoy jewelry made with materials from responsible sources that respect and protect the earth, its peoples, and cultures.
Camp Med-O-Lark Summer Opportunity
Enamelist Society member Karen L. Cohen teaches at an art camp, Camp Med-O-Lark, in Washington, ME and is looking for counselors for the Enameling, Beading and Metals Studios. In addition, other counselors are also needed. Please read the flyer for complete description.
Professional Practices with Harriete Estel Berman & Andy Cooperman
Questions and Commentary with Andy Cooperman &
Harriete Estel Berman
Monday, April 16, 2012, 7:00–8:30pm
Academy of Art University
491 Post St, Room B70, SF 94102
FREE event sponsored by The San Francisco Metal Arts Guild
http://metalartsguildsf.org/professional-practices-with-harriete-estel-berman-andy-cooperman/
Display Cases to Give Away
The NCEG has 3 display cases that must go now. Please contact Judy Stone (judy@jstoneenamels.com) for more information.
2 of these (19 ½” x 26 ½” x 12” H) capable of being locked to base. Need gluing and repair.
1 case 18” x18” x 10” H – can be locked – in great condition.
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