Hey friends!
This blog post comes to you from sunny Mesa, Arizona, where I’ve just completed a cloisonne class with the fabulous Laura Fortune. It was so rewarding meeting new friends and all working on separate projects, cheering each other on.
| The Classroom at the Mesa Arts Center |
| Thoughts on Mesa - It’s gorgeous, well at this time of year, anyway. 75 degree temps, cool nights, beautiful mountain views interspersed with palm trees. (I was told though, in the summer, they have to keep gloves in their car to wear so they can touch the steering wheel, it gets so hot! They have a rail system, and it was my first time seeing Waymos - the self-driving cars. Not sure if I would trust one myself! The facility itself, Mesa Arts Center, was amazing! |
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If you're not familiar with enamel or cloisonne, I'll try to keep it simple. Enamel is the process of sprinkling glass powder on copper or silver, and then firing it in a kiln, The powder fuses into glass and adheres to the metal. Cloisonne is adding silver "walls" to the metal creating individual cells to put the powder into. Rather than sprinkling, the powder is wet packed into the cells, and then fired into the kiln. This created distinct lines and separates the colors. My piece, wet packed and ready for firing. |
| Fresh out of the kiln - look at the difference in color! It changes as it cools |
| After first wet packing, ready for another round. Sometimes it takes 3 times to fill all the cells! |
Well, I'm back in Maine, and ready for more creating! Don't forget, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. In this world of uncertainty, let's celebrate love no matter where we find it.
Be well!
Lori