The Alchemy of Enamel: Transformations in Color and Glass w/ Barbara McFadyen

All Levels* $220-$270 Materials and Studio Fees**

Transform your ideas, drawings, or personal photos into lustrous enameled surfaces as you explore mark making, painting, and drawing to capture your inspirations with the exciting possibilities in the colorful world of enameling. You will explore dry sifting, stenciling, silk screens, and sgraffito in combination with painting and drawing techniques using a variety of materials, from underglaze pigments to overglaze paints. Shimmering details will be added with mica powders, metallic inks, and precious metal foils. Participants may choose to create a collection of working samples to later inform their work, finished pieces to be set as beautiful enamel jewelry, or small works to mount on the wall.

*Some experience with enamel or metalwork is helpful but not required. Any painting and drawing skills will support a participant’s experience but are not required.

*Materials and studio fees are charged to students based on studio usage and materials Touchstone is providing at the request of the instructor. Additionally, some instructors may also require that you bring certain materials and tools with you, in which case a list will be provided. Final cost of these fees will be posted at least two weeks ahead of the workshop to be paid in full prior to check-in.

 


MATERIAL LIST

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS should bring the following materials for the workshop
*It is recommended that you wait to hear if the workshop is running before you purchase materials. Touchstone will let you know if a workshop is running no later than 2 weeks before the start of the class. Regardless of the outcome of the class, running or not, Touchstone is not responsible for the reimbursement of any materials bought for a workshop.

  1. 1 each of Sable Brushes for overglaze painting; 1, 0, 2/0, 3/0 These are expensive but worth it. OR Budget oriented option for brushes; 1, 0, 2/0, 3/0

    Suggested purchase: Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brushes and Set | BLICK Art Materials or Blick Master Synthetic Kolinsky Round Brushes | BLICK Art Materials

  2. Palette Knife (A more flexible palette knife is essential)

    Suggested purchase: Richeson Offset Economy Painting Knife – No. 893, 1-7/8″ x 1/2″ | BLICK Art Materials

  3. Cheap Ceramic White Tile 6” x 6”
  4. Various Graphite pencils~ Variety hard and soft; 4B- 6H

    Suggested purchase: Blick Studio Drawing Pencils – Set of 12 | BLICK Art Materials

  5. White & black art eraser
  6. Fan Brush (Optional)

    Suggested purchase: Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Brush – Fan, Short Handle, Size 4 | BLICK Art Materials

  7. Filbert Brushes (Optional)

    Suggested purchase: Da Vinci Nova Synthetic Brushes and Sets | BLICK Art Materials

  8. Angle Brush (Optional)

    Suggested purchase: Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Brush – Angled, Short Handle, Size 3/8″ | BLICK Art Materials

  9. Tachikawa Comic Pen

    Suggested purchase: Amazon.com : Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Holder(T-40) + Zebra Comic G Model Chrome Pen 10 Nibs(PG-6C-C-K) : Office Products

  10. Copper shapes for enameling (optional) Thompson Enamel Supplies

    Suggested purchase: Stamped Copper Pieces – Thompson Enamel

  11. Personal sketches, drawings, inspirational photographs, or images that interest or inspire you
  12. Personal or family photographs (black & white best) or high-contrast black and white designs
  13. Apron and Lint free work rag
  14. Small pad, wood block, or cupcake turntable to set work on

    Suggested purchase: Amazon.com – 4 inch Lazy Susan Turntable Acrylic Ball Bearing Rotating Tray for Spice Rack Table Cake Kitchen Pantry Decorating TV Laptop Computer Monitor (360˚ Rotation) – 3” by 3” or 2” x 2” block

  15. N-95 particle mask or other similar quality dust mask
  16. White Prismacolor Pencil (Bring color sets, if you already own them)
  17. Magnifying eyewear or Jewelers Opti-visor
  18. Small scissors; any but Joyce Chen are great!

    Suggested purchase: Amazon.com: Joyce Chen Original Unlimited Kitchen Scissors All Purpose Kitchen Shears With Comfortable Handles, Red: Joyce Chen Scissors: Home & Kitchen

  19. Sharpie Extra (Ultra) Fine Point
  20. Xacto knife + extra blades no. 11
  21. Any plastic stencils or other materials such as lace, laser cut cards, netting, cheesecloth (Optional)

    Laser cut greeting cards make great stencils! Any other materials you have on hand

  22. Rubber stamps, various ones on hand (Optional)
  23. Wipe out tool

    Suggested purchase: Kemper Wipe Out Tool | BLICK Art Materials

  24. An airtight container to hold the tile with paints overnight (Cookie tins, heavy duty food storage containers that shut tight completely)
  25. Covered Paint Palette tray-A nicer version, if you want a personal long-lasting tray
  26. Copper Sheet: 16, 18 g. for flat work/20, 22, 24g for jewelry

    Any you have on hand (Thinner sheet must be formed or domed before enameling)

  27. Metal scribe or pointed sharp tool; i.e. sewing needle in cork

    Suggested purchase: Inlay Tools – Thompson Enamel

  28. Nitrile Gloves
  29. 80 Mesh Enamels (Optional)- any that you have on hand
  30. Mason Stains (Optional)- any that you have on hand
  31. China Paints/Sunshine colors (Optional)- any that you have on hand
  32. Gelly-Roll’ Sakura metallic gel pens: white #50, Silver #553, and gold #551
  33. Any of your own personal tools that you wish to use (Optional)
  34. Apron (Optional)
  35. Sketch book, Pen, Pencil
  36. Reusable Water Bottle

Download this list: The Alchemy of Enamel_Materials List

 


 

2025 Instructors

Barbara McFadyen
Metals/Jewelry Studio Instructor