Christine Pearson uses subtle textures, simple shapes and bold colours to create her individual pieces of wearable art. Based in Leicester, she works in Enamelled Silver and Copper.
When I’m out and about I cannot help but notice things that give me ideas for enamelling. Weather it’s a walk in the countryside or a wander through Leicester - ideas are everywhere.
Colours, shapes, textures…thank goodness for the cameras on mobile phones! You never know when you notice a possible idea.
When is a dish not a dish? Is it a bowl?
These two forms were both made from a flat sheet of copper. They were heated, hammered and shaped and seemed to want to be a pair, not the same but definitely a pair.
They have several coats of enamel on both sides and I polished the edges to show the copper beneath.
Are they bowls or dishes? I don’t know what to call them, but whatever they are - they are a pair!
The other day I cut and shaped some simple shallow dish shapes. I have been wanting to try some different shapes in copper for a while, using my silversmithing skills. I have some limitations with the tools and space in my tiny workshop, and I’m sure my neighbours think I am having endless work done with all the hammering! Nevertheless I was quite pleased with these little trinket dishes and it feels good to be able to enamel my own shapes.
Oceania Collection was an idea I had to display 9 enamelled copper shell brooches. The inspiration was from Museum visits, looking at the collections from Victorian explorers who travelled the world collecting natural flora and fauna. These displays included handwritten notes and were often presented in cases or trays.
My shell shapes were taken from my imagination and each one seemed to develop its own personality with each firing. The brooch fittings had to be soldered on before enamelling and each three dimensional shape I spend a ridiculously long time looking for an old wooden box to display the collection in. I then had to make the dividers for each section and line it.
I must admit I had fun writing the labels! Each shell has a name. The shells were collected from the unknown oceans surrounding the ancient seaport of Leicester.
The collection is on display in Leicester Museum and Art Gallery until January 31st as part of the Open Exhibition I was thrilled to receive the Leicester Galleries and Museums Development Trust Award.
It feels very fitting to have this piece in the Museum. Leicester Open Exhibition, in the same building as the fossils, dinosaur bones and archaeological finds.
It can be daunting showing your work to other people! Recently I was thrilled to have two enamel tree sketches selected for the Open Exhibition @sockgallery in Loughborough.
It was even more exciting to see that my piece Charnwood Trees was highly commended.
Time for a self-conscious picture in the gallery!
Its always a great joy to take my work out and about and I am attending some fabulous events this summer. Sometimes I stay local, in Leicester and Leicestershire, but its great to go further afield into neighboring counties,
Coming up next is The Derbyshire Open Arts. It is a showcase for artists, with a wide range of Open Studio events and Exhibitions.
I will be at the Creative Gallery in Melbourne during the late May bank holiday weekend, exhibiting with six other artists. I have made some new enamelled jewellery and will also have some enamelled steel tree sketches with me.
Have a look at my What’s on page - or social media posts to see where I am. It is so nice to meet people.
New work for Derbyshire Open Arts
Trees are such amazing things, their shape and form are a constant inspiration at any time of year.
I have just finished some more sketches of trees using steel sheet, wet process enamels, and rust!
My diary is filling up with events for 2024. Although January is a quiet time I’m already busy creating new stock for galleries, applying for craft fairs and planning enamelling workshops.
I am determined to spend some time just experimenting and creating some of the ideas that float into my head. Having some fun with the possibilities of enamelling. So - in between the other distractions of running a business I need to set some time aside for that essential creative process!
Texture experiments
Lots of lovely events, art shows, craft shows and teaching! It’s been another busy enamelling year. . Highlights? The conversations I have had with other people. It is fantastic to share my enamel journey with others and share their experience of trying this ancient craft.
At shows I often meet people who have never tried enamelling, or did it just once - long ago, at school. Listening to comments about my work, how individuals respond to the colours or when someone makes a connection with a piece. Jewellery is such an individual thing and has its own life beyond me as its maker.
Meeting people who have bought jewellery from me before feels such a privilege. Many recognise my work from a gallery or previous event. It seems I have developed a recognisable style!
Fargo Makers Market.
Beginners Enamelling Group in Corby
I am often asked where my ideas come from, how do I create new pieces?
The quick answer? Looking and seeing…noticing what is around. Shapes of leaves, the texture of decaying buildings, the colours of fallen leaves in Autumn. Taking photos, sketching, tearing an image from a magazine- finding ways to record and remember those ideas for the future. Not judging those initial thoughts, just storing them for when I need inspiration.
Then, when I’m ready to start a new piece or range of jewellery, I can look back and use these images and thoughts to start my designs
I find it hard to stop when the ideas start to flow!
Its always good to try new things. There are so many possibilities with enamel. The other day I spent time with a friend using some of the techniques I’d recently learnt with Amanda Denison at the Guild of Enamellers Conference.
We used some large sheets of steel to enamel onto. The second layer of enamel was scratched and scraped before firing. This scraffito effect was worked into after firing, scratching back to the bare metal. The steel was encouraged to rust, giving some wonderful effects.
As usual I forgot to take photos but here’s a couple of the finished pieces. The scenes are based on some photos I took at my brothers farm in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
I love working on a larger scale!
This pendant is enamel om copper. Like all my work it has been fired several times to build up the depth of colour. Transparent and Opaque enamels combine in each layer. Copper wires show details in the landscape and the section of unenamelled copper flows through the scene.
The piece is mounted in a brass setting - with a cord.
I am often asked to teach beginners how to enamel. Its such a pleasure to share this fascinating craft and watch the surprise at the changes heat makes to the enamel and copper as pieces come out of the kiln. Even in a short space of time a lot can be achieved - with guidance and advice everyone can enamel.
There are so many possibilities and effects that can be created, I know I am still learning!
Beginners Enamelling Workshop
Beginners Enamelling Workshop
I was invited to include some work in a selling exhibition at the Court Barn Museum in Chipping Camden. When I was also asked to include big, bold, experimental pieces I didn’t need asking twice!
When I worked as a jewellery designer for a large company I was often expected to predict what would sell or follow trends. The freedom to produce work I enjoy is much more rewarding, and the irony is…. people seem to like it.
If they don’t like it that’s ok too. Jewellery is such a personal, individual thing.
It was great to be able to showcase some new pieces, and I was even able to spend a couple of days in the museum - making my jewellery and talking to customers.
Another busy year! The run up to Christmas was hectic. As in previous years I took part in several in person events, which I love to do. It is quite hard work, travelling and setting up my jewellery ready for people to look at. The best part is having conversations with customers and fellow stall holders. When you work alone you don’t get any feedback on your work and its great to hear and see peoples reactions. Its great to meet people who have seen my work online or in Galleries.
The worst part? Outside events in the bitter cold and rain. Trying to stop things blowing away!
I’m already looking ahead to events for 2023…watch this space and do follow me on Instagram or Facebook for the latest places I will be.
Working on larger, 3D shapes in enamel gives new opportunities and challenges. I decided to enamel some copper bowls, just a couple, on one of the hottest days of the year. With the large kiln set at 840* C and the blinds down I got my notebook ready to record the process, colours, firing temperatures and timings. Its important to be organised!
A few hours later I had fired four bowls, multiple times, in different colour combinations to my original plans. Every surface of my workshop was covered in enamel powders, sifters and it looked like chaos! I usually pride myself in working in a controlled, methodical way. Not that day!
My notebook had one sentence written at the top of the page. My colours were mixed up and would have to be replaced - not wasted though as I can use them to “counter enamel” future pieces.
Creative flow? Inspiration? Who knows, but I had fun and was quite pleased with the results.
They were with me at Art in The Park in Leamington Spa last weekend. They attracted lots of attention. I sold three, which has encouraged me to make more.
I might choose a cooler day next time!
Blue bowls, forth firing. The old flat iron stops the bowl warping.
Finished green bowls.
I decided to revisit the cell ideas I worked on last year. Planning how they will be made always comes first as any soldering, shaping and metalwork has to be done before the enamelling. The drawing are just a few of the different cell shapes I looked at. Next stage was to cut paper templates and cut the copper. Not sure if the photo shows it but the copper is also slightly domed after cutting and filing smooth.
Next stage? Add the brooch fittings and decide on the colours!
It seems that rings are being worn again! I’ve had a restock of lots of jewellery for my craft fairs and events. These little enamelled silver and copper rings are proving popular at the moment. They can be worn on there own or stacked with other rings.
Each one is different. They are great fun to make too!
Some colours are very illusive. When using enamel it is never just a matter of mixing a new colour. Red and yellow grains of enamel do not make orange, after firing you see red and yellow speckles.
I had an idea of a way to layer two different yellows to give a deep, bright colour. Combining a translucent and an opaque yellow gave me a zingy yellow, which i will use a lot in the future.
The blue and green combinations also combined an opaque and translucent colour. The depth of colour is fabulous!
Visiting beautiful houses and seeing art, sculpture and craft work is what makes Art House such a special event. This year the Art House event is online. The website is designed so you can click on a door to see the artists in that house! A great idea to introduce practicing artists from Leicester and Leicestershire.
Click on the picture to go to the Art House site.
https://www.art-house.org.uk/