Janine Partington

More Images »

Bristol-based designer-maker Janine Partington combines the traditional craft of enamelling with fresh, clean, contemporary designs.

Enamelling is the art of fusing glass onto metal. Janine's work is mainly created using the technique of dusting powdered vitreous enamel over hand-cut stencils onto copper. Watching an enamelled copper panel emerging from a kiln glowing red hot after being fired at a temperature of 800°C is always an exciting experience. As the metal cools the true colours of the panel emerge. It takes multiple short firings to create a finished piece of work.

Janine takes inspiration from the shape of things around her. In particular she is inspired by trees, flowers, leaves and seed heads, and taking their shape and form in new directions. Exploiting the sensitive relationship between the copper and enamel is at the heart of her work. Janine is constantly playing with the materials, seeing where they can take her.

Enamel is a versatile, durable, strong and impervious material which is well-suited for every room in the home or workspace from kitchen to bathroom, from washroom to boardroom. The inherent qualities of the enamel, it's sheen and it's interplay with light bring something new and very tactile into a living space.

Janine now shows her work in galleries and shops throughout the UK including The Devon Guild of Craftsmen in Bovey Tracey, Gallery on the Square in St Ives, The Cider Press Centre in Dartington, Castle Gallery in Inverness, Cambridge Contemporary Crafts in Cambridge and The Rostra Gallery in Bath. You can also buy directly from the maker.
 
Also, don't miss Janine in craft&design Magazine where she is their diary writer for 2011.