Playing with Enamels

Inspired by Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace

This was the first attempt using enamels. The brightly colored canopy is a second layer of BE glass, as well as the door frame in the lower left had corner. That was done with clear glass and powders. After the firing, some black enamel was used to define the different wood planes for the frame, but it isn't visible in this picture.

All the enamel was applied wet, using only water as the medium. 2 firings were required, both to tack fuse temps. Some enamel colors were blended like paint pigments to make a redish-orange, bluish-black and an orangy-yellow. The background blue was not blended, using blue and cobalt blue.

All the background was done in the first firing. The second firing was to add the tables and some additional details.


The purpose of this panel was to cover a big hole made when the on-demand water heater was installed. I put a 2' x 2' hole in the cabinet so the workers could easily install the required, expensive stainless steel venting. Since the water heater is in the kitchen, and the kitchen is in a faux-French look, I thought this would be appropriate. And I do have a watercolor of a Provence doorway, acquired when I was in Nice.

Looking at this in a photo (as well as in person) it could use more color to give it more interest, more depth, and more "punch", but impatience won over and I wanted this in the frame on covering that hole. It's only been...5 years? 6 years?

I may try and do a plate in all enamel to see how that looks.