What is enamelling?
Enamelling is the art of fusing glass onto metal. It’s durable, lustrous and tactile — a traditional craft that I approach in a fresh, clean and contemporary way, using hand-cut stencils and sifting techniques.
My inspiration comes from the natural world around me, and from books and magazines — recurring images include seedheads, trees and birds. I absorb what I see and interpret it in drawings on card, always with the final piece in mind, as I cut my stencils directly from my original design.
Once a stencil is ready, I lay it over a piece of copper and sift powdered vitreous enamel across it. The stencil is lifted away and the panel fired in my kiln at around 800°C, and I love the way each piece glows as it comes out before quickly cooling. This is repeated, layer upon layer, until the whole surface is covered and the design complete.
Framing matters to me too. I finish each panel with an 18mm MDF block, painted in a toughened matt white that wipes clean with a damp cloth — the same finish I use for my standing figures and clock cases. Each finished panel is a one-off, made to order.
