Pat Johnson

 

Enamelling is the technique in which coloured glass is fused on to the metal surfaces of copper, silver, or gold. The different enamels are applied one after another, with a firing at around 900° between each colour. Since the firings only take one minute, enamelled pieces pass into and out of the kiln quickly, which allows spontaneity in the development of the design.

During the firing, enamels interact with each other, creating wonderful new colours and textures. These interactions are often best seen when the enamels are fused on to the sloping contours of bowl forms.

I work on spun copper bowls because copper can itself alter the colour of the enamels and add to their richness and variety.  The perfect and symmetrical spun bowl shapes allow the enamels to play the major role in
pieces.

In addition to bowls, I also produce small enamel panels and larger wall collages made from cut out enamelled shapes.