You know, usually I think the word "amazing" is sometimes overused, but in this case, I don't.
Saturday night's kickoff for Southern Flame's Demopalooza was enamelist, Ricky Frank. Perhaps you've seen him at a really big show, like American Craft Council or similar.
Ricky agreed to make a fully enameled piece in front of our very eyes and he also demoed a second piece to show us some variations. It was great energy. Seems like people who use glass enamels speak some of our same glass language, COE's, color reactions, firing temps and other shared terms were a big part of the evening. But we also sat there "amazed", while watching him put together his pieces while telling stories, his philosophy and chatting with his darling daughter who came along to keep him company.
Ricky used to do more cloisonee work, but has changed his style. He uses the silver or gold wire for emphasis and showed us how he can work without it, while using the enamels. His dexterity and artistry was a delight to behold.
Later this week, I'll go through more of our Sunday line up. For more information and great photos, visit Ricky's website. www.rickyfrank.com or www.rickyfrankenamels.com.
