Monday, September 19, 2011

The Enamelist Society Conference

I just returned from The Enamelist Society Conference at Arrowmont in Tennessee. What a wonderful experience it was! I will tell a little bit about it now, but will have to share more later in the week since I have tons of pictures to go through, and need time to gather my thoughts.



I was pleased and honored to be included in the Alchemy exhibition which opened during the conference, and will also be showing at the Metals Museum in Memphis and the Knoxville Museum of Art. I recieved a travel grant through ASU and a scholarship from the Enamelist Society to attend the conference, which was also a real honor. The exhibition was amazing to see, with so many incredible pieces from many different artists! It was so nice to see so many enamel pieces in one show together, and how everyone approaches enamel work in different ways.



Before going to the conference, I was a little nervous about going somewhere I had never been for a week where I didn't know anyone. But I'm really glad I did! Everone was really friendly and approachable, and I met many wonderful people who I enjoyed talking to, and hope to keep in contact with and see the work they produce in the future!



The week was packed with presentations, breakout sessions, auctions, workshops, and incredibly delicious food. My stay at Arrowmont began with a workshop with the incredible Ricky Frank, who taught me so much in 3 days! His work is amazing! I especially love his abstract landscapes, and the mermaids he does! (I'm a sucker for mermaids)



I had a great time, and will share more in the next few days. Another bit of exciting news is that I will be teaching torch fired enameling this week and next week at Harold Studio. It will be great, especially since I'm all hyped up about enameling after the conference!