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This 3-day workshop will feature a number of somewhat unusual enameling techniques that are straightforward and simple, but which significantly expand the expressive potential of enameling. We will begin with a brief overview of basic painted enamel techniques including drawing directly onto enamel, the use of watercolor enamels, the preparation of enamel paints from raw oxides, the use of lusters, and other methods of painting.

After that we will explore four rendering methods in detail:

1. The firing of graphite drawings into enamel, producing highly detailed and delicate images. We will learn how to prep the enamel for the pencil marks; how to blend, shade and use graphite washes; and how to build up layers and use overglazing in combination with painting techniques. As an alternative to kiln-firing we will learn a simple method of torch-firing that maximizes image clarity.
2. The use of reflective glass beads (used on airport runways) to create unexpected optical effects. Demos will include the use of various sized beads, compatible enamel undercoats and the complex optical interactions that can be created.
3. The use of synthetic aventurine (goldstone) to produce enamels that sparkle, a historical method virtually unknown in contemporary enamel circles.
4. The application of delicate sgraffito drawings in gold leaf, a technique derived from Roman glass portrait rondels and adapted for enamels. Demos will focus on the crucial aspects of surface preparation and precise firing conditions that are necessary to achieve the effect.

Keith Lewis received his BS in Chemistry from Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA) in 1981 and his MFA in Jewelry & Metalsmithing from Kent State University (Kent, OH) in 1993. He has been teaching at Central Washington University since 1994, where he is currently a Distinguished Professor. His jewelry deals with issues of sexual identity, memory, loss, and the notion of jewelry as a transportable polemic. His work has been widely published and shown both nationally and internationally, and is represented in a number of significant public and private collections, including the Tacoma Art Museum, The Houston Museum of Fine Arts, The Rotasa Foundation (CA), The Museum of Arts and Design, The Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and on the Metalsmith magazine Editorial Advisory Board.

Workshop Hours:

Friday-Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM , with meal breaks at Silvera Jewelry School

Cost: $595 + $35 materials fee

Materials List: Provided upon registration or when ready

Registration: Limited to 9

Refund Policy: No refunds unless your workshop position can be filled by another person.

Lodging, Meals, Transportation:

Coming from out of town? Check AirBnB, Priceline, and other discounted online lodging sources, The Center will try help you make your stay comfortable and stress free while you are a workshop participant.