This is the second in a series of guest posts by the enamel artist Kat Cole. The post was previously published on her blog.
I have made large enameled work previously, but I have always felt handicapped by the size of the kiln available. Scale and proportion decisions had to be made based on the interior dimensions of the kiln. More than once, I thought a piece would fit in the kiln only to realize Read More →
This is the first in a series of blog posts by the enamel artist Kat Cole. Cole, who has been making distinctive enameled steel jewelry, met Center for Enamel Art founder Judy Stone last year when Cole taught a Radical Enameling workshop for the Center. Stone encouraged Cole to explore the expanded use of industrial materials in her work, and connected her to KVO Industries, a partner of the Center for Enamel Art, where Cole created a large sculptural piece. Cole’s posts, which she is also sharing on her own blog, give insight into her practice and process as she brings a new scale to her work.
New things are happening in the studio. Actually, it is a new studio, acquired to make room for a very large new project.
For almost ten years I have been exploring the often complex relationship between vitreous enamel and steel. I love the variability of the steel alloys I use in my work as they bond with the enamel in the kiln. One of my key interests in steel is the ability to shift scale from the minute to the monumental. Read More →
We are thrilled to introduce a series of guest posts by the enamel artist Kat Cole.
Cole, who has been making distinctive enameled steel jewelry, met Center for Enamel Art founder Judy Stone last year when Cole taught a Radical Enameling workshop for the Center. Stone encouraged Cole to explore the expanded use of industrial materials in her work, and connected her to KVO Industries, a partner of the Center for Enamel Art, where Cole created a large sculptural piece. Cole’s posts give insight into her practice and process as she brings a new scale to her work.
We will begin republishing her entries next week. Join us, and her, as she learns to think big!
A Little History
Edward Winter, “Mexico,” enamel, 1940. Cleveland Museum of Art
Enameling–technically defined as glass bonded to metal–can take many forms. Read More →
The Center for Enamel Art is excited to host a guided bus tour on Saturday, June 25, of the work of noted Sacramento enamel artist Fred Ball.
To learn more and to register, click here.
Fred Uhl Ball: The Legacy of a Pioneering Artist
Recently, I have been wondering about the legacy of one the most important American enamelists of the 20th century, Fred Uhl Ball (1945-1985). I never met him, though he lived, worked and taught in Sacramento, CA, about an hour from my home, and frequented the supply store in San Francisco where I bought my enamels. But even in absentia, Ball was a mentor to me. His book, Experimental Techniques in Enameling (1972), came out the same year I began enameling professionally, and formed the basis of my journey into enameling.
It was easy to be affected by Ball back then — his influence and presence resonated throughout northern California. He was an icon, the son of well-known Sacramento artists, and thoroughly of the area in which he lived. His work was commissioned and collected by a variety of patrons, and he produced several large-scale wall commissions for both public and private spaces. The most recognizable of his pieces, The Way Home, was installed on the side of a large parking garage in downtown Sacramento, and for many years was the featured image on the front of the Thompson Enamel catalogue.
“The Way Home,” installed on the side of a municipal parking garage in Sacramento
An Untimely Death
Ball died young, at a time when his potential seemed limitless. Read More →
Join the dialogue!
Helen Elliott critiquing student work in a Radical Enameling workshop, “Enameled Steel for Large Scale Art: Working in an Industrial Setting”
We want to expand the critical conversation about enameling among enamelists, other artists, collectors, art historians, and the general public. Our goal is to support the growth of enameling as an art practice and help establish it as a respected art form.
We need your help.
We know that our readers are talented, experienced, and opinionated, and we would love to help you reach a broader audience. We are looking for critical contributions on a variety of topics, including Read More →
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