Please describe your work. Has your practice changed much over time? Do you experiment a lot or do you work within a specific set of parameters?
My work has evolved over the years and continues to grow and change today. In graduate school I focused on combining found natural objects with enamel and metalwork in order to explore ideas surrounding place and identity. The work from this time period was part of a series titled “Memory’s Pieces” a name that points to the way each piece is tied to a specific geographic location or personal experience. I still love collecting natural objects and occaisionally incorporate them in my work, but currently I mostly work with enamel, electroformed copper, fabricated metal, and the occasional cut stone. Over the past years I’ve started to focus on the intersection of chance and purpose during the creative process. I have always enjoyed working in ways that allow me control over materials yet at the same time encourage the materials to influence the process and final results. For instance, when I work with liquid enamel I often start by pouring random shapes on the metal. This technique allows a certain amount of chaos and chance to be part of the process and often provides lovely, fluid, organic shapes that are more free and energetic than I could achieve using a more controlled application method. I then follow up with very purposeful drawing. I find that my strongest work comes from a mix of processes that embraces both chance and purpose.
Kristina Glick, Memory’s Pieces: Arboreal Shores, Watercolor enamel, periwinkle shells, shell fragment, magnolia scales, copper, pearls
Memory’s Pieces: Arboreal Shores (back detail)
Kristina Glick, Alchemy 7, Liquid enamel on copper
Kristina Glick, Biology of the Strange VI, Enamel, graphite, electroformed copper, sterling silver, cubic zirconia
What is your background and training?
I attended Goshen College, a small liberal arts college in Northern Indiana. The department wasn’t large enough to offer many jewelry classes but I took all that were available and loved them. Enameling wasn’t part of the curriculum but I was able to do an independent study on the subject spurred by my interest in finding ways to add color to work I was making. My jewelry professor at Goshen was Judy Wenig Horswell, her passion and enthusiasm were infectious and her willingness to allow me to explore beyond what was taught in the curriculum helped spark my ongoing love of enameling. After graduating with my BA degree, I spent three years doing voluntary service in Bolivia which was both an amazing and very difficult experience. When I returned to the U.S. I was dealing with a certain amount of culture shock and wasn’t at all sure what I wanted to do with my life. After working several very unfulfilling jobs I decided that I needed to focus on something that brought me joy and so I decided to pursue a masters degree in art. I was fortunate to attend East Carolina University where I studied with the accomplished enamelist, Linda Darty, who added a wealth of information to my enameling knowledge. Since that time I have had a personal studio practice and continue to learn new skills and techniques on my own or through taking the occasional workshop.
the office half of my office/studio
the studio half of my office/studio
What is your favorite tool. How does it affect your work?
This is a hard question, and the answer would definitely change from season to season depending on what the current focus is in my work. Recently I have been getting back into creating enamel wall panels using liquid enamels and my favorite tool is a small, extremely sharp, steel scribe that I use for sgraffito. It makes the most beautiful fine lines in dry, unfired liquid enamel. I have never found another tool that works as well and fits so nicely in my hand. I would have to say that I also love my jeweler’s saw. I enjoy sawing and piercing and find it fascinating the amount of intricate detail that can be created with such a basic, affordable tool.
Scribe and jeweler’s saw
What are your inspirations and biggest influences? Who are your favorite artists/enamelists? (what are your most important influences)
One of my biggests ongoing inspirations is the natural world. For me, experiencing beauty is one of the catalysts for wanting to create art. And one of the most consistent places I find beauty is in nature. I am lucky enough to live in Southeastern Idaho during the school year, and a short 10 minute drive gets me out into the foothills with lovely mountain views. I particularly enjoy looking at textures and colors. Last year I spent some time in Capitol Reef National Park where the landscape is a riotous expanse of hills and plateaus riddled with holes and sculpted sandstone shapes.While I don’t create representational art, I often notice a similarity between the types of textures and shapes I enjoy in nature and the type of marks I make in my drawings and enamel panels.
As far as enameling influences, the biggest one for me has been June Schwarcz. From the first moment I saw her vessels I fell in love with her use of color, texture, and form. I was lucky enough to interview her during grad school and was taken by her very down to earth approachability. Another influence is Elizabeth Turrell, a British enamelist. During grad school I was her studio assistant for a Spring concentration class at Penland School for Craft. From her I learned to embrace experimental approaches to enameling and the beauty of mark making.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
June Schwarcz
Image source: https://enamelguild.org/june-schwarcz/#jp-carousel-699
June Schwarcz, Electroplated and etched copper foil, enameled gray interior, oxidized exterior with squarish recesses – Image source: https://www.enamelarts.org/vessel-695/
Elizabeth Turrell, Memory Bowl 4, Vitreous enamel on steel – Image source: https://www.gallery57.co.uk/elizabeth-turrell?lightbox=dataItem-kmhnsyge1
Elizabeth Turrell, Image source: https://www.westdean.ac.uk/tutors/elizabeth-turrell
Describe your teaching style. What is the most exciting part of teaching for you?
My teaching style is student focused, fairly informal, and fueled by a love of creating. I work hard to make sure I have well prepared and clear demonstrations so that students aren’t confused or stressed by the learning process. Class time is usually split between demonstrations and work time. During work time I like to interact with students one-on-one which gives them a chance to ask me questions and me a chance to get to know what each person is most interested in achieving during the class. I also strongly encourage students to learn from and help each other. I think the most successful classes are when the students and I create a sense of community and everyone enjoys not only what they are doing but each other’s company. I feel strongly that any class I teach should be a safe space for everyone regardless of experience level, age, gender, personal background or beliefs. The most exciting thing about teaching is getting the chance to share my knowledge and then seeing how each person takes that information and makes it their own. There is nothing more satisfying than having a student come up to me with an insightful question, an excited anecdote about something they’ve made, a problem they have solved, or an exciting new idea they can’t wait to explore.
Please tell us about the workshop you will be offering at the EGNE conference.
I will be teaching two workshops for the EGNE conference.
Before the conference I will be teaching The Alchemy of Copper Oxides: Two Enamels, Infinite Colors.
This workshop explores the dynamic interaction between white and clear liquid enamel, copper, and heat. The range of colors you can create using just these two enamels, the naturally occurring oxides in your metal, and strategic firing, is amazing. I particularly love working with liquid enamel because it offers so many opportunities for a playful approach to enameling. You can dip, pour or spray the enamel, you can create beautifully detailed drawings and patterns and of course, depending on how you fire the enamels you can get many different colors and textural effects.
Kristina Glick, Alchemy 5, Liquid enamel on copper
After the conference I will be teaching Electroforming for Enamelists.
I often use electroforming in my work because it allows me to create uniquely organic and textured copper designs that highlight and enhance the color and surface of my enamels. While I love enamel as a material, sometimes I get tired of its smooth shiny surface, and so the bumpy, matte surface of electroformed copper creates a beautiful contrast to all that smooth glass. In this workshop we will start by learning how to create enamels that are appropriate for combining with electroforming as well as how to set up and operate your own electroformer. Then we’ll discuss strategies for design and composition and how electroforming can be used to create raised metal surfaces for basse-taille or champleve enameling. The workshop is focused on jewelry scale enamels but with a larger electroformer this technique can easily be adapted to sculpture or wall panels.
Kristina Glick, Speckled Eye, Enamel and electroformed copper