Brooch by a Jessica Turrell. Photo by James Champion
I love and am inspired by the work of UK based enameller Jessica Turrell www.jessicaturrell.co.uk. Although she doesn't use a lot of colour, she explores the use of texture, matt and mark making on enamelled surfaces. Some surfaces have an almost cloth like appearance like a piece of tweed fabric.
Turrell has also innovatively explored enamelling on copper forms that have been created using Electroforming technique. Not only does this mean her forms are unique but there are no solder seams to affect the enamelled surface.
Using an organic enamel glue such as Gum Arabic, Klyr-fire, Gum Tracaganth or hairspray (yes you read correctly!) to hold the sifted enamel powder on the surface or liquid enamel, the form is fully covered with enamel (how this is positioned in the kiln and fired is another question all together, which I cannot answer!). The success of using hairspray goes against all advice I was given when I was taught enamelling at Art School many moons ago. In fact anything could contaminate and ruin the enamel piece and laboratory conditions were insisted upon at all times - something I still try to adhere to - difficult when you're so involved with a new experiment, discovery or 'happy accident'! Grease is the enemy, which is why I was surprised and delighted to discover a former student had puckered up and kissed an enamelled sample with lip salve on, dusted on and fired a contrasting enamel colour and produced a fantastic sample - experiment, explore, create (but obviously with safety as a priority).
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