Enameling

Introduction to Enameling

Enameling is the process of applying a thin coat of finely ground glass to a metal. When heated to a high temperature, the glass melts and fuses to the metal.

Enameling is a vehicle for both a creative and technical art experience. The art of enameling involves the design of lines, shapes, colours and textures into imaginative images by means of the technique or craft of enameling.

The practice of these techniques may take considerable experience before it is fully understood and controlled. Yet, there are many aspects of the process which allow simple steps on the way to achieving great skill.

Enamels applied to metals produce various colour effects. With careful experimentation, the subtle variations in colour and form can be controlled. The real joy in enameling lies in creating a design motif which exploits the brilliance of the enamel colours through technique and control. Fusing the enamel to the copper surface with heat completes a project which in the beginning existed only in one’s imagination.

The processes of enamelling are not difficult to learn, but should be taught and practiced in logical order to ensure good results and allow success. Most important is what is done with the knowledge gained and the skills developed and how these will differ with each experimenter. This becomes the personal and unpredictable ingredient in art called creativeness and it affords the greatest amount of satisfaction and pleasure.

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