The Art of Enamel

Thursday evening I rode out to Manteo with Ken Bova and Mi Sook Hur to attend the Art of Enamel opening reception. I always love the drive out to the Outer Banks, and it was great to catch up with Ken and Mi Sook. The College of the Albemarle has a fantastic little gallery, and the work was just spectacular. I still can't believe I was in a show with so many of my enameling idols!
Rock Brooches by me.
Gallery
Jennifer Wells
Marissa Saneholtz

Mi Sook Hur


The show is up through April 6th. If you're headed out that way I highly reccommend you stop in and see it!

New Tool!

Recently I was gifted a new toy, I mean tool. Some time ago I was looking at the back of one of Ken Bova's brooches and there was a rabbit stamped on the back. Needless to say, I was intrigued and asked him about it. I went looking for my own rabbit stamp, and discovered that you have to buy an entire set of stamps from Rio Grande, you can't buy individual stamps. I was a bit disappointed since I wasn't about to shell out $220 for a set of 33 stamps, most of which I would never, ever use. But I went about my business making rocks and writing my thesis and forgot about the rabbit stamp.

Until this week, when I came into the studio and found this on my bench. Ken Bova gifted me his rabbit stamp and that is why he is THE COOLEST GUY I KNOW!!!!!!!! I finally got a chance to play around with it today, and made myself a tiny rabbit charm. The note he left me said to use it as frequently as possible and I intend to.

RABBITS ON EVERYTHING!!!!!

Awesome Jewelry that I Own!

I'm really very fortunate that I know so many talented and giving people who are willing to gift or trade me their fantastic work. Here are a few recent adds to my personal collection I've aquired over the past few months. (This is just a start, I've got some more awesome pieces to add to this later, including my "Wonder Triplet Power Ring".)

Spray painted costume jewelry and silver earrings by Tara Locklear.

Steel and silver earrings by Leia Zumbro.

Silver with steel and enamel "balls" by Jennifer Wells.

Copper and enamel heart brooch by Ken Bova, and cast silver and enamel brooch by Sarah West.

I'm excited because I've got other trades in the works with Laura Wood, Marlene True, Autumn Brown, Jennifer Wells and even Bob Ebendorf!

Day 2: Mineral Pigments with Ken Bova

We're very lucky to have Ken Bova with us this year, since Linda is abroad with a group of students in Italy. And while we miss Linda very much, we're all super happy about working with Ken, so we asked if he would teach a workshop at this year's symposium.

Ken Instructing Us on Color

Ken has recently been working with mineral pigment temperas which he mixes himself. I've heard him talk a little bit about it, so I was very excited to see his demo. He started off with a brief power point on the history of mineral pigments as used in Renaissance manuscript illumination. It was really fascinating, especially since these things are still intact today. Works done uses this technique last for centuries or more.

Demo Table

Ken's work table was AMAZING! Colors, gold leaf, rocks and small vials of mysterious powers, some of my favorite things! His samples were simply stunning. I found myself not really caring what kind of jewelry he's made using this technique; I just wanted his sample sheets to frame and hang on my wall.

Tiny Mineral Pigment Paintings

A painter at an artists residency he was attending told Ken her secret to egg tempera. This egg tempera recipe has been handed down from master to student for centuries, and Ken was nice enough to put in all in a handout for us! He also had a recipe for sizing or mordant, the adhesive used in gold leafing, which he also demonstrated. Ken talked at length about color theory, and the minerals he uses, which provide a very specific color range.

Ken Applying Gold Leaf.

Ken showed us how to make the gold leaf sizing, how to apply the leaf, how to grind minerals and how to make the actual egg tempera. This involved Ken doing the most incredible thing with an egg that I've ever seen, and I can't really describe. All I can say is that it took him three tries and he was somehow left with just the egg yolk, absolutely no white. We were all super impressed. After he mixed him color, Ken showed us how to apply it to the paper in thin, even coats.

Ken Bova, (you can get )From There to Here

Ken's workshop was incredibly comprehensive and I can't believe how much testing and troubleshooting he's done on this really obscure (at least for jewelry) technique. I know some artists (myself included) that can be a bit proprietary with their methods, but I think Ken literally told us everything he knew about this subject that he's spent so much time testing and perfecting. I'm excited to see where he goes with this.

Be sure to check out Ken's brand new website!

Thanks for reading!

Ken Bova, Earrings