JANUARY 15TH NOKOMIS ART & CRAFT MARKET!!
The biggest little gallery in Sarasota county!
Original and affordable art for all. Come visit us!
Winter Hours:
October - May
Tuesday - Saturday / 10:00 - 4:00
Artist Spotlight
Melissa Erlenbach: Vitreous Enamel Jewelry
Melissa Erlenbach is an Award-Winning International Artist, whose work has been acquired and exhibited in Japan and Europe, as well as North America. She is a multi-disciplinary artist working in several mediums as a painter, sculptor, and enamelist.
Erlenbach maintains a private studio in Venice, where her current paintings, enamel work, and jewelry can be seen by appointment. Her paintings can also be seen at Erlenbach-Modern.com Prints of original paintings can be ordered in many sizes to fit your decorating requirements.
Vitreous Enamel Jewelry also called porcelain enamel, is made by fusing powdered glass to a metal substrate. It is then kiln-fired between 1380 & 1560°f. Each piece may be fired as many as half a dozen times!
Ancient Persians used this method for coloring and ornamenting the surface of metals by fusing brilliant colored powdered glass to the metals in an intricate design. In European art history, began to use vitreous enamel in imitation of precious stone cloisonné inlays.
Vitreous enamel can be applied to most metals: gold, silver, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and cast iron. Enamel has many excellent properties; it is smooth, hard, chemically resistant, durable, scratch-resistant, has long-lasting colorfastness, is easy to clean, and cannot burn. Enamel is glass so it does not fade under ultraviolet light.
“Every artist has a personal philosophy which guides her work. I love art that stimulates thought, conveys a message, and opens up a conversation. Jewelry not only decorates the body but is a great conversation starter. Working with Vitreous Enamel, I create pieces that are bright, colorful, and full of optimism!
As a modern artist working in an ancient medium, my objective is to advance the art of enameling, not by conforming to traditional processes but to continually challenge and stretch the boundaries of accepted techniques in order to breathe new life into an ancient and revered art form.
