Contact.

I'm having one of those very rare attention deficit days. In all honesty, my brain has been functioning at something of an 'Oooooh, SHINY' mode all day.

Perhaps this is because I sold two MOAR necklaces via Etsy over the weekend. Go, Etsy! Go me! The gentleman who bought them was so nice (yes, it was a man). One piece was for his wife, the other for his niece. Here's the first one, which he intends for his wife:

'Je t'aime.'

On a human subject, AKA, me.

The second piece is for his niece:

'Fly Away With Me.'

Mirror Image.

Recently, a friend asked me why I pose as my own model. I thought this was an interesting question. In all honesty, I'm quite shy. But I'm also convenient for myself. I don't need to wait to book me. I don't need to call myself on the phone to arrange when I'm available. I'm always free, cash and time-wise. That's it. The end. Now you know ;0>

In other news, I just bought the *coolest* (or maybe the hottest ~ haha) enameling kiln on the market. But it ain't no beginner machine, that's for sure. See:

It's ACTUALLY called 'The Kingpin 88.' It's SO bad@@$.

As soon as it arrives, I'm going to take a picture of the real thing. And then I'm going to take a poll regarding my kiln's name. I would *hate* to call it George, only to find out it's a girl. You know what I mean... I think.

What else? Oh, yes. I'm currently creating some gift certificates that you can use in my shop for existing merchandise or a custom order ~ your choice. I'll post samples as soon as I have them listed, which should be sometime tomorrow.

I'm also working on new designs for cloissone earrings and bracelets, so we'll see what I come up with. In addition, I'll be announcing the start date of custom orders. They will be first come, first serve, but if you want something very specific, please be sure to contact me as soon as possible.

One last thing, and this is VERY important: if you'd like to email me, and you don't want to contact me via Etsy, just message me at NatanyaElka@gmail.com. I'll create an email link on the sidebar of this blog for your convenience, too. Thanks, Happy Holidaze, and *blessings* to you!

xoxo

Precision.

It seems that whenever I tell people that I am a cloisonné artist, an expression of confusion sometimes reveals itself.

So... please allow me to explain.

Clear as mud, right. Well, I guess that's my point. The cloisonné process simply refers to the creation of small 'chambers' of glass that make up a piece. Nothing more, nothing less. But that certainly doesn't mean that it's not extremely labor intensive work. I must admit that the patience level and adherence to the strictest of studio rules is what makes enamel work less than a craft, not quite a trade, and lands it directly in the realm of ART. Think 'old masters' and you'll have it just about right. 

To be more specific, cloisonné enameling is the art of building a wire canvas, grinding the correct colours, sifting and washing those colours, and then carefully inlaying them until they are, for the lack of a better word... PERFECT. Oh yes, and one can not forget the glowing, red-hot kiln, with it's small jowls looking like the depths of the-place-you-don't-want-to-be-in-the-afterlife.

There are no mistakes allowed in cloisonné work. None. I can not tell you how many times I have been working on a piece until 1:00 in the morning, only to throw it at the wall (yes, I actually once did that), because ONE wire fell down. *sigh* But... I doubt anyone creates cloisonné to make a quick buck. I do it because it's more of a 'calling' than anything else. I have burned myself and eaten glass more times than I might care to admit, but the COLOURS... they make up for everything. Really, they do.

Years ago, I saw an exhibition of one of the most famous and masterful cloisonné artists who ever lived. Peter Carl Fabergé. Of the giant Easter egg fame. You know... they look like this:

If you look *very* closely, you can see the tiny chambers, or 'cloisons' of glass on the base.

  Amazing, right? I know. Even though I'm aware that Fabergé had a team of apprentices/helpers, I can't help being fascinated with the idea that he not only conceptualized the designs, but he was such a skilled artisan himself. It's true... how else could copies of his work still be found all over the world? His apprentices learned from him, that's how!

As I am preparing for the launch of my new Etsy shop, I am also considering the history and the precision of this thing that I do... cloisonné. I found a video that I'd like to share with you. I know it's in French, but it *is* subtitled. I think this artist explains (better than I have tried to do here) what an enamelist feels when he or she is at work. After all, what IS art without feelings, thoughts, and inspiration?

The Craft of Enameling 

My guess would be that if you are reading this, you can relate.

xoxo