Enamelling & Jewellery Making
1. Enamelling & Jewellery Making
3 Day Workshop -
Cost £360
and
2. Making Contemporary Enamelled Jewellery
3 Day Workshop -
Cost £360
Tutor
Your tutor is Caroline Finlay who has many years experience as a practicing enameller and jeweller as well as teaching enamelling and jewellery techniques and design for over 20 years.
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for beginners and those with some experience of enamelling or jewellery making as there is the opportunity to make a more complex piece, should you wish to, involving more skilled techniques and soldering such as a small box, charm bracelet or brooch.
It is however possible to attend without previous skills and spend the days experimenting and creating a simpler piece. The small class size of 5 means there is plenty of one to one tuition time.
Caroline will email you nearer the class date to discuss your experience and tailor the class to suit individual needs.
The 3 day class means there is more time to explore and develop techniques.
Caroline encourages you to take notes of techniques covered and there will be lots of additional information provided such as equipment required to set up your own studio and stockists.
What will you learn?
Vitreous Enamelling is exciting and challenging and in this three day course you will explore various enamelling techniques with an emphasis on pattern, texture and mark making and create colourful, textural and unique samples on copper and silver that will be developed into a final piece which could be earrings, a small silver and enamel box, a brooch, a set of buttons or other jewellery piece.
Techniques covered will include (depending on the final piece you make);
Jewellery making & silversmithing - saw piercing, texturing, forming, soldering, a simple push on box lid & fitting, brooch fittings, ring making, chain making, bracelet catch, earring fittings, clasps & finishing.
Opaque and transparent enamels
Basse-taillé
Stencilling
Cloisonné
Enamelling soldered pieces
Foils & Graphite
Sifting
Wet enamels
Liquid enamel
Grinding & stoning
You will be encouraged to explore unusual and unique designs of your own for your final piece.
What is included?
All materials except silver for final pieces - this should cost an additional £10 to £30 depending on the size and piece.
Refreshments but not lunch. Please inform Caroline of any dietary requirements.
Enamel will be fired in a kiln that reaches around 850 degrees centigrade and all Health and Safety and personal protective equipment will be provided, although you can bring your own apron, gloves etc.
You will be expected to wear a dust mask when sieving enamels.
Caroline will provide more detailed information on directions, what to bring, lunch, where to stay etc. after booking.
Preparation
You can bring inspirational examples of colours, texture, patterns and marks that
you may wish to develop. These could be photographs, nature finds, found items, drawings etc. that can provide a starting point. Alternatively Caroline will have sources of inspiration in the studio or you can work spontaneously.
Bring an apron if you have one.
Bring a notebook or sketchbook
Please wear shoes that cover your feet.
Day One will focus on producing samples on copper and silver. You will use opaque enamels for Stencilling and Sgraffito techniques where more than one colour will be used to create patterns and surface marks.
Working on both copper and silver, you will create textured surfaces on the metal that can be seen through layers of transparent enamel and explore various enamelling media.
In Day Two you will work on developing designs and ideas for and start making a final piece such as a box, brooch, ring or a piece of your own unique design.
If you have no jewellery making experience your piece will have be simpler rather than make a more complex piece with multiple soldered fittings.
All designs will be discussed with Caroline to ensure that you will have sufficient time/skills to finish them.
Alternatively you can use the 3 days to explore techniques and develop samples more fully.
Day Three will be spent working on enamelling; a box lid, brooch, ring or charms for a bracelet, earrings etc. and finishing your piece.
Caroline is happy to try to accommodate your specific needs where possible so please do get in touch if there's something you'd like to learn that hasn't been mentioned.