In 2010 I moved to a small town just outside Raleigh, North Carolina. The tiny house was remodeled to include a new studio for me. It's about the same size as the space in Gettysburg, but without the wood stove there's more work area.
I miss the ambiance of the fire but not the mess. Enamelists like it neat and clean.
I never thought this Wisconsin girl would be living in the South, but I love it.
I have been working steadily and have had work accepted in some major shows. I look forward to finding a gallery in the Raleigh area.
Where I work.........
STUDIO 2012
At work in the studio
Welding with Oxy-acetylene torch
Forging
Although these are pictures of me working in my old studio, the tools, equipment and techniques are the same. In the studio, I forge the copper into shapes and weld them together.
After the shaping process, enamel (ground glass) is applied to the surfaces.
The piece is placed in the hot kiln at about 1500 degrees F.
It stays in there for 3-4 minutes.
This is repeated many times until the desired affect is achieved.
Firing
Life before the move.....
My studio in Gettysburg was a converted old brick smokehouse.
The house was built in 1927 on the old Lincoln Highway just west of Gettysburg, PA.
This road is considered the first coast to coast highway.
It was built to be a rooming house and the two cabins on the property were some of the first “motels.”
Beautiful Sycamore trees planted along the roadway still line the land.
Studio
Critters on the Homestead in Gettysburg
"Gracie" 8 weeks old
"Toots"
Belted Galloway cattle
We raised Belted Galloway cattle on our small 5 acre farmette.
Visually, they looked stunning in a green field.
Toots was the most wonderful cat ever!
When Gracie arrived, Toots adopted her as one of her own.
