Studio: international art (28.1903)

Painted Enamels

in warm oak sawdust; or it is rubbed bright To my mind, the domain of the enameller is the
with pumice powder and whiting. Thus, having imaginative, and herein I include all real design and
obtained a clean piece of metal, the first layer ornament. The methods of and results obtained
of enamel is placed on the underneath side by oil or water colourists are not those of the
by means of a palette knife, a brush or spatula, enameller; and it is quite wrong to try to translate
and water. The water is dried out of it a design in these methods. To copy a picture
by blotting paper. It is then turned over, and made in oil or water-colour is wrong. The method
the design having been drawn on the copper, of enamelling is different from that of any other
this is filled in with the various enamels suit- kind of art, and neither can the process nor the
able to the design. After that it is fired and result be imitated by any other. And this is true
worked on either by heightening parts with white of all arts. When the design is to be carried out
or foil, which are subsequently glazed with clear in opaque enamels, the work is very simple and
enamels, or the first coat of different enamels is only requires sufficient care to make a good enamel,
amplified, varied, darkened or modified, as the case But when the work is to be painted in transparent
may be, by other layers and gradations of coloured enamels, the possibilities are infinite, as are also
enamel. Thus by very careful manipulation any the difficulties of their attainment. And I have
degree of variety in strength, in brilliancy of lustre, no doubt, in years to come, when the art is
or depth of colour can be obtained. The only better understood by artists, critics, and the
thing to be avoided is the danger of the plate public, when their knowledge has increased and
falling in through too many firings or too great their eyes have become accustomed to the
heat. It is advisable in making the design peculiar qualities of enamel—to the same extent,
to pay as strict attention to every step in its at least, as their knowledge of other mediums
journey towards completion as to the main result. —that there will be established a standard by
The many pitfalls incidental to the craft, the innumer- which these qualities will be known and appreci-
able combinations, and the different properties which ated. The awakening of oil-painters with regard
enamels possess, cannot be indicated here. Neither to the greater possibilities of their medium, as
is it possible to teach the process by any book, how witnessed by the movement, on the one hand, of the
ever long, without each step being demonstrated and pre-Raphaelites, and of the impressionists and
then practised by the learner. But the better pointillists on the other seems to support this
trained in other arts the student is, the more chance contention and enamelling the material enters more
has he of ultimate success in enamelling. largely into the view of the spectator than any other

question. And rightly
so. There is no doubt
that taste is acquired;
and from habit more than

^T" ' ~s, from knowledge people re-

mSi* gard things as beauti-

Cl^'HiififiHS'' ful or not. Consequently

'" i .. it will take years for

enamels to be regarded

ifl with right eyes and to re-

ceive intelligent criticism.
Let us then start by
thinking of enamels as
creations, not copies,

-"MM^^KHEESS^^made, as it were, of

precious stones, only with
this difference — that
instead of a narrow range,
they are capable of an
infinite variety of colora-

IMBBHMBBiiiii^MHM^Mii^^^^^B^H^HI^^^^^^^^MBH And let us regard

the " pitch " as being not

JEWEL CASKET BY ALEXANDER FISHER r . °

(In possession of Captain ffotford) due to or relying upon any

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