ENAMELING CLASSES

Meetup Tasters: Enameling
Entry-level
Create art while forging new friendships in the process and come away with an experience like no other. Our 3-hour Meetup Tasters are a fantastic way to begin exploring industrial art and meet people with a common interest. In this enameling Taster, you'll learn the fundamentals of enameling and work on a small enameled piece. We've paired our Tasters up with a lunch for the morning section and a wine-and-cheese mixer for the afternoon section so that students may socialize and engage in warm conversation about their experiences. Not only will you create a small project, but you'll also meet new fun people. Sign up for one morning and one afternoon Taster on the same day in separate disciplines and you'll receive a $15 discount..

Sign Up Now!

Maker Taster: Enameling
Entry-level
Our 3-hour Maker Tasters are a fantastic way to begin exploring industrial art and meet people with a common interest. In this enameling Taster, you'll learn the fundamentals of enameling and work on a small enameled piece. Sign up for one morning and one afternoon Taster on the same day in separate disciplines and you'll receive a $15 discount. You'll finish your Taster with a small finished project.

Coming May 2012...

Holiday Taster: Enameling
Entry-level
Our three-hour Taster classes are an easy way to begin exploring the industrial arts. In this enameling Taster, you'll learn the fundamentals of enameling and work on a small enameled piece you will get to take home. Taster classes make great gifts for a do-it-yourselfer, or take a class together with family and friends for a unique holiday bonding experience. Sign up for one morning and one afternoon Taster on the same day in separate disciplines and you'll receive a $15 discount.

Sign Up Now!

Introduction to Enameling I
Entry-level
This class provides an overview of this ancient art of fusing glass to metal. You'll learn about metal preparation and fabrication for enameling, kiln properties and methods for firing, properties of enamel and dry and wet application techniques. No previous jewelry making, enameling or metalworking experience is necessary.

Sign Up Now!

Also check out this class in our Youth Department.

Introduction to Enameling II
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
This continuing course in enameling further develops the skills you learned in Introduction to Enameling I. You will also learn more in-depth application methods and new techniques, such as torch firing, basic enamel painting, working with precious metals, exploring liquid enamels and working on 3-dimensional forms. In addition to a lot of experimentation, you'll produce at least three finished pieces. No previous metalworking experience necessary.

Sign Up Now!

A Primer in 3D Enameling
Entry-level
This one-day workshop introduces you to enameling three-dimensional metal forms. You'll work with soft copper sheet, mesh and copper wire, and learn to plan for adding enamel to the form and how to fire forms. This class involves spray equipment, some industrial enameling materials and traditional jewelry enamels. No previous enameling or metalworking knowledge is necessary.

Sign Up Now!

Fred Ball's Experimental Enameling Techniques
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
Fred Uhl Ball (1945-1985) was an enamelist who lived and taught in Sacramento and whose work is currently undergoing a revival. Once viewed as highly unorthodox, Ball's techniques and approach to enameling nonetheless created a firm basis for current contemporary enameling. The techniques he wrote about in his out-of-print Experimental Techniques in Enameling (1972) included working with fire scale, creating collages, using liquid enamel and other materials associated with the porcelain enamel industry, over- and under-firing and much more. Explore a wide range of Ball's techniques with Judy Stone, whose own work was greatly influenced by Fred Ball's book.

Sign Up Now!

Setting Enamels
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
Enamel gems are fragile and heat and cold sensitive. The best way to protect your enamels and ensure their long life is to set them. In this class you will learn how to design and create enamels with their setting in mind. Using 18-gauge copper you will create small abstract enamels, which you will be setting, using bezels, prongs and rivets. This will be a technique-oriented class where you will be focusing mostly on setting enamels instead of enamel surface finishing. You'll learn simple abstract enameling sifting a few basic colors; just enough to create simple pieces that can be used for different types of settings. This will be a fast paced class and prior knowledge of metalsmithing is very helpful for efficient learning of the setting techniques. At the end of the class we will discuss pluses and minuses of the different settings. Time permitting; some students with more intermediate metalsmithing skills can explore setting of irregular enamel pieces.

All basic materials will be provided but students can bring 18 gauge copper, 20-18 gauge fine silver to enamel on and 24-22 gauge sterling silver for settings. A variety of gauges of round sterling silver wire and sterling silver tubing are always helpful if you have them available. You do not have to bring finished enamel pieces to this workshop, but may want to have them for discussion on a best way to set that particular enamel.

Sign Up Now!

Small Scale Cloisonné Enameling
(Twice a Year)
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
Combine art and science in the intricate process of cloisonné enameling. Create your own small cloisonné pieces for jewelry or small artwork, while learning the rich, subtle and distinctive colors of transparent and opalescent enamels on fine silver. Painterly shading techniques and high-gloss polishing instruction will also be covered.

Sign Up Now!

Limoges: Enamel Painting
(Twice a Year)
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
"Painting" enamels, metal oxides and overglazes mixed with various oils, let you to achieve fine detail and immediacy of the hand-drawn line, as well as simulate delicate watercolor washes. This enameling technique, sometimes known as Limoges, first appeared in medieval Limoges, France, and is practiced most prolifically today in Russia. This workshop will teach you how to prepare a small piece of copper for the application and firing of painting enamels. You will learn how to prepare painting enamels as well as different methods of working with the materials.

Sign Up Now!

Plique-a-jour: Enameling Techniques
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I & Introduction to Jewelry & Metals I or with permission of instructor.
Plique-à-jour (meaning "open to light" in French) is a widely admired enameling technique in which enamel is fired into a backless frame, creating a luminous effect similar to looking through a stained glass window. You will design, make and finish pierced plique-à-jour pieces, sawing out metal and filling the spaces with vitreous enamel. You will work with fine silver and various enamels to make pendants and earrings.

Sign Up Now!

Photographic Transfer and Decals on Enamels
(Rare Offering)
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
Discover the potential of fusing photographic images onto an enamel surface. Through the photographic process of gum bichromate, we will transfer photos, collected images or drawings to enamel. We will create photograms with stencils or found objects on enamel. If you've ever wished you could combine a photograph into a permanent medium such as enamel, or love exploring and making discoveries with experimental techniques, this is the class for you. In addition, we will learn how to create our own decals with inexpensive water-slide paper to be applied to enamel surfaces.

Sign Up Now!

Enameled Steel: An Introduction to Large-Scale Enameling (Rare Offering)
Prerequisite: Introduction to Enameling or with permission of instructor.
Get an overview of how to work with the materials the enameling industry uses for signage, appliances, utensils and architectural elements. We will draw, paint, silk-screen and airbrush on heavy-gauge, pre-coated, specialized enameling steel using porcelain enamel slip, screening inks and various other materials.

Sign Up Now!

Grisaille: Enameling Technique
Prerequisites: Introduction to Enameling I & II or with permission of instructor.
Often associated with medieval French enameling, grisaille ("gray") is the application of white enamel to a black enamel background; after many applications and firings, the white sinks into the black, creating halftones and shading. You will learn traditional grisaille enameling as well as a few experimental approaches to grisaille. You will apply black enamel to a copper piece to create a smooth, dark background, then use finely-ground white enamels to paint over it, with light areas, taking more white enamel layers than gray areas, creating an impression of low relief. You will experiment with the application of silver foil and touches of gold to enhance the pieces. You will also explore sgraffito-style grisaille and other experimental approaches.

Sign Up Now!

Art Clay Silver and Enameling
Prerequisite: Introduction to Art Clay Silver & Introduction to Enameling I or with permission of instructor.
This class combines two exciting techniques for you to design and create two or three pieces of colorful fine silver jewelry. First, you will use Art Clay Silver, which enables you to create jewelry or other decorative fine silver pieces without metalsmithing techniques: you can roll, press or mold Art Clay to create the perfect base for an enameling process. Next, you'll add beautiful color to this piece by enameling, fusing glass to metal with high heat.

Sign Up Now!

Projects in Enameling
Prerequisite: Introduction to enameling or with permission of instructor.
This class is for students who have taken one or more classes in enameling and would like to work with the medium in a less structured environment. This is an opportunity to work with enamels on projects of your own choosing with the benefit of an instructor present to offer assistance and advice. Kilns, firing tools and sifters are provided. You must supply your own enamels, miscellaneous supplies and metals.

Sign Up Now!