Evolution...

If you follow me on FaceBook, you know that I've been trying to get some enameling done all week long.  And yesterday I spent the majority of the morning enameling! Finally.  I enamel so infrequently.  It really is best done in the cool months of the year, because it can get quite warm sitting in front of a kiln for hours at a time.  I finally got inspired to make enameling a priority!  I'd like to have a nice little stock of items to sell in the Fall when I will likely do a show or two.  And summer is fast approaching here in Texas.  It won't be long before it will be too hot!  I just can't justify running the air conditioner while simultaneously running a 1450 degree kiln.

So, I had a lot of fun yesterday.  I got several pieces that pass the quality control inspector (me) and some pieces that didn't make the cut.  About half way through, and too far in to turn back, I remembered a lesson that I had learned before and forgotten.  And then another thing!  And so on all day.  But after reading my enameling book again, I have new ideas already brewing, and hopefully I'll remember lessons learned next time!

 This is the Tulip necklace ~ Windalia ~ But I've been calling her Mooka.

The inspiration for this piece began with this:

A sea of tulips at the Dallas Arboretum.  The day before I had pulled reds, oranges and yellows for my first enameling session.  Seeing this view just really cemented the idea of what I wanted to make.

I began with many layers of yellow, followed by sprinklings of golden yellow, light ruby red, dark ruby red, and a color that was labeled red but looks more pink!    Since I don't know my enameling colors well enough to predict what the colors will look like, my original color scheme evolved a bit.

And the finished colors remind me of Mookaite Jasper from Australia.  And so we have Mooka colored Tulips!  :-)

I've not been spending much time at the computer, but I will try to get this listed soon.  If you are interested in this piece, email me at amymarez@yahoo.com