This piece was inspired by a recent walk around Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The two figures are based on the shapes and style of Barbara Hepworth - The Family of Man.
Members of the Guild of Enamellers were sent a pack of materials to create an enamelled piece, based on the theme The Great Outdoors.
This challenge was much harder than I imagined. It made me realise I’m not used to including different materials in my work. My first ideas involved flowers, trees and cows. After playing around with different compositions I still wasn’t inspired.
As I was looking through my photographs I came across some my husband and I had taken during our first visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and in particular the Barbara Hepworth Statues, The Family of Man. These statues are arranged on the hillside and I found them thought provoking and beautiful. It was our first trip out of Leicestershire for several months and the change of scenery and art in the landscape was inspiring.
My enamelled piece is an attempt to represent the hills of Yorkshire in the background and the two figures in the foreground represent me and my husband and all the many walks and places we have visited over the last year.
I wanted to use each of the materials that Jill had sent us. I also tried not to waste any of the materials. The square of copper was cut into 2 to represent hills in the background and as the copper was quite thin and soft it was easy to bend it into an undulating shape. The copper tube became the bases for the two figures and the rest I flattened and cut into the shapes for the figures. I cut holes and domed a couple of the pieces to try and make it more three-dimensional. When it was time to enamel (all W G Ball) I used clear flux (477) then budgerigar green Transparent (430) on the hills, some areas with grass green opaque (686) and celadon green opaque (664). I used the sequin waste as a stencil for some of the background on the hills.
I enamelled the two copper tube bases with clear flux (477) then bronze green transparent (492).The shapes on top were enamelled with flux, then a layer of bronze green. One of the pieces has some transparent orange (468), which I scratched into. A piece of the silver foil is included on one of the shapes. I did not know what to do with the steel washers, they looked a bit too shiny, but I liked the size and shapes . I counter enamelled one side and was quite pleased with the effect. All of the pieces are counter enamelled and glued to the dowel with epoxy resin.
The figures are supported by the wooden dowel, with the pipe-cleaner wrapped around both bases and glued into the copper pipe. I decided that I felt the wood was too light and dyed it with some drawing ink to match the colours of the sequin waste. I wrapped the silver plated wire around part of the dowel to give a different look.
I really enjoyed making this piece! It pushed me out of my comfort zone by using different materials and also having a figurative aspect of my work which is something I rarely do. If I was to make it again I would make more of a contrast between the background pieces and the figures as I feel they get a bit lost in the landscape.
I love the Barbara Hepworth style shapes on the figures, I think this would look great as a pair of earrings. I’m not sure what Barbara would have thought though!
Originally I had intended to make the background one piece by riveting it together. I’m glad I changed my mind as it’s nice to arrange the pieces in different ways. With a bit more planning I feel I could have used a more contrasting colour for the figures, everything is quite green.