This is the sixth in a series of guest posts by the enamel artist Kat Cole. This post previously appeared on her blog.
Note: It is at this point I would like to say thank you to the people that were integral to making my trip possible, those that were so generous to open up their homes to me and share their knowledge. Judy, Brooke, Linda, Steve–you all were my cheerleaders through what was both an incredibly stressful and exciting experience and I cannot thank you enough.
Installation by Ellen Forney in Seattle bus station, made by KVO Industries
KVO Industries is located in picturesque northern California in the small town of Santa Rosa. This operation has been fabricating porcelain enamel signage for the last 16 years and grew out of a larger factory that re-located away from Santa Rosa in 2000. KVO is a small company running impressive facilities with incredible possibilities. They have made signage for the state and national park systems, large-scale outdoor images for cities and museums, and worked with artists to re-create images of their work in enamel for public projects. Read More →
The more sculpture I make, the more I realize one of the biggest hurdles is shipping. It is not as easy as picking up a flat rate USPS priority box and making sure to insure it, which is usually simple and inexpensive when shipping jewelry and small objects. The logistics of transporting these three- to four-foot panels to and from California has been one of the more stressful components of this project. 
As I prepared to build the pieces, I asked for assistance from the experts at 
Fred Uhl Ball: The Legacy of a Pioneering Artist
