Owls, Fox and Fern Enamel Test Pieces

Enamelling is really quite exhausting! I have found that I really like working on 1.2mm copper - it doesn't need to be counter enamelled, and is much easier to saw than the 1.5mm sheet I used for the paisley brooch. Larger pieces can take on a pleasing curve in the kiln, but the smaller ones stay completely flat.

Yesterday I was working with transparent enamels. I don't have many colours, and even fewer that look good on copper, so I was trying to get different effects using fluxes (clear enamel). Copper flux goes golden at high temperatures, which is quite nice (like on Owl 1), but I decided I prefer the pinky look of silver flux, like on the fox piece.

Here are the more successful pieces:

From top left: Owl 1, Fox, Fern, Owl 3

And the ones I really don't like:

From left - Poppyheads, Owl 2, Floral

My favourite piece was probably the fox, I like the subtle colours, so I think I'll be using that technique again. That could make a cute brooch!

Fox test piece

So - still a long way to go, practise is the only way to improve...