Creative Enamel Color
The Enamel Skills

Enamel Science

Learn the "how and why" of your enameling process

• Break the Rules (Myths)
• Follow the Principles (Science)
• Understand and control variables
• Experiment to find answers to your questions

Enamel Color, Layers, & Light

Learn Ricky's "Seven Enamel Layer" techniques and develop your own personal enamel vocabulary.

• Combine opaque, transparent, & opalescent  colors
• Learn to "think in enamel layers"
• Paint with reflected & transmitted light

Enamel Foundations

Hours of introductory video tutorials to help you learn the basics... Prepare, Apply, Fire!

• Cloisonne´ Enamel
• Prepare a copper and silver "blank" canvas
• Clear and bright transparent colors
• All about Silver Foil
• Tools and Materials (What I use)

Learn more about enameling skills

Why?

You want to...

• learn and improve your enameling abilities.
• make something that you like and love.
• make something that feels meaningful and unique.
• be more creative and expressive with your enameling.
• move beyond the "project-based" classes and understand how to apply what you learn in your own way.
  
• study with someone who has over 43 years of creating enamel jewelry and 20 years teaching enameling who is dedicated to your artistic growth.
  

Samples from video tutorials

What?

Sample from video tutorials

You will learn...

• the skills and techniques that I use to  apply and combine my colors and enamel layers.
• to develop a personal visual imagery and translate it into enamel imagery.
• to let go of fear as you play and ask more questions.
• develop a process to help you move towards your artistic goals.
• create complete tutorials so that you can teach your yourself in your studio what you want to learn.
• to become a self-directed and focused artist.
• observe and provide feedback to support yourself and other students.
• let go of needing to like everything that you make as you achieve small goals to help reach your larger goals.

How?

You will...

• watch more than 20 hours of specially-created video tutorials (3-4 hours each week).
• see Ricky model not only what he does, but how he thinks as he learns, designs, and creates his artwork.
• learn to use and apply Ricky's "Seven Enamel Layer" techniques.
• be challenged to create 5 different types of enamel layer tutorials each week.
• share your results and receive feedback on our dedicated forum of current and former students (not Facebook).
• participate in two Zoom classes each week (one 2-hour and one 1-hour) to explore creativity,design, and story-telling with enamel.
• begin a journal/vision book to help you explore, record, and brainstorm the many new ideas that you will have.
•  access all of our content for 3 months after the course has finished.
• be part of Ricky's Creative Color group forum after the course to keep you inspired and motivated.
• have 3 months of access to Ricky's (44 plus years) of enamel jewelry experience during the course.
  
• use the Bonus mini-courses in the Creative Enamel Color Bundle to refresh your basic enameling skills and science.

Samples from video tutorials

The Creative Enamel Color Class

Let your "enamel light" shine!
Explore Enamel Color, Layers, and Light with Ricky Frank

Learn & practice the enamel and artistic skills
that will empower you to make enamels that sing a song from your heart!

This is an online class that combines...

• ENAMEL SKILLS & SCIENCE
• ENAMEL DESIGN
• CREATIVITY
• SELF-EXPRESSION
• LEARNING "HOW TO LEARN"

"your teaching method was transformative for me as both an enamel technician and an artist"
-Candie P

What are your enameling goals?

• Do you want to rely on making "happy accidents' or do you want to be more intentional in your approach to making your enamel artwork?
• Do you want to follow what you think are the "rules" of enameling or do you want to understand the "principles" that create specific results?
• Do you want to make derivative enamel artwork that looks like your teacher's or the artists that you admire or do you want to make artwork that speaks from your heart?
  
• Do you want to make repetitive artwork that looks like what you have always made or do you want to challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone, work through the anxiety that is part of the creative process, and make something personal, original, and meaningful?
• Do you want to be able to       feel empowered and independent  without relying on a teacher to show or tell you the "right way" or "best way"?
• Do you want to learn and improve the many skills required to "make something that you like or even love"?

These are important questions to ask yourself.
What do you want?

If you want to...

• make more intentional artwork
• learn and apply the science of enameling
  
• teach yourself to discover what you want to say and how to say it in enamel
• discover what gets in your way of doing this 
• receive some guidance and coaching with lots of space to explore your own way

The Creative Enamel Color Course is the class for you.

Why is this so challenging and difficult?

• Your are using HEAT to bond two materials: metal and glass. Heat can be scary.
  
• The firing process changes both the enamel and the metal; physics & chemistry
• Many colors, manufacturer brands, and firing temperatures
• Transparent, opaque, and opalescent enamels.
• Teachers and books often tell you the "right way" but present conflicting information and methods.
• How can YOU choose WHAT to do? So much to take in and process.
• Many materials, tools, techniques, and skills to explore. And distract you.
• You must practice, experiment, and play a lot to be able to predict your results. A lot.
• Persistence, resilience, and patience are required virtues in your learning process.
• Many of us don't have TIME and want shortcuts. Sorry. It takes time.
• You need to make many mistakes. You will make many pieces that you don't like.
• What are you going to make with the skills that you are learning?
• Do you understand design See design elements and apply design principles?
• Are you creative? Can you make original artwork?
• Do you believe that you are  "good enough"? Do you doubt yourself?
• Do you have the patience and persistence to allow yourself to fail repeatedly?
  

This is a lot to consider? No wonder it's confusing and overwhelming.

Find your artistic voice and vision
with enamel.

Make enamels that come from your heart!
Discover, embrace, and let your light shine!

Allow yourself to "paint outside of the lines".
Let go of needing to be in control and have the right answers!

Find your inspiration and dream big dreams. Or small dreams. But make them YOUR dreams.
Find your own way, your own vocabulary, your own vision, your own voice.
Believe in yourself, re-connect with yourself, and share YOUR enamel light.

Wouldn't it be fantastic if...
 enameling could bring a sense of joy and purpose into your life?

Are you feeling stuck?  Like you are missing something? And maybe you don't even know what you are missing?
Have you found that collecting new techniques may not be the way to bring JOY and PURPOSE into your life?

I've created the Creative Enamel Color Course to...

•  help you discover what to change and how to change it.
  
• guide you through a challenging process using simple steps and skills
• coach you: because I believe that you can make the transformation that you seek!
  

The Creative Enamel Color Course
combines two different types of skill learning.

Enamel Skills

• Explore enamel color, layers, and light
• Ricky's seven enamel layer techniques
• Enamel basics: Prepare, apply, and fire enamel, foils, and wires
• Introduction to cloisonne´
• Understand and apply enamel science.
  

Learn more...

Artistic Mindset Skills

• Learn to SEE the design elements around you
  
• Become more creative
  
• Become more self-expressive
• Develop a visual and enamel vocabulary
• Explore your artistic vision and voice
  

Learn more...

Creative Enamel Color
The Creative Mindset Skills

Design

Understand and see Design elements

• Lines, shapes, color, value, pattern
  
• Learn to SEE the world through the eyes of an artist
  
• Assemble your Design Elements using Design Principles to create compelling imagery.

Creativity

Become more Creative.

• Crop to find what you like
  
• Change to make it different
• Combine to create new relationships
• Play with enamel to see what is possible
• Develop your Imagination

Self-Expression

Make artwork that speaks from your heart.

• Find YOUR stories
• Consider "Why you care?"
• Create a series
• Make it meaningful
• Find a deep sense of connection and joy

Learn more about Creative mindset skills

 Do you want to...
Make personal and meaningful enamel artwork that you love!

This requires a combination of different skills...

• Create your Visual Vocabulary: Learn to see design elements (shapes, lines, color, values, patterns) and design principles in the world around you.
  
• Create your Enamel Vocabulary: learn and practice the skills, science, materials, and tools so that you can make enamel images.
• Translate your Visual Vocabulary into Enamel Images using your Enamel Vocabulary. How can you use enamel, foils, or wires to create your design elements and apply design principles?
•  Become a Visual Story-teller: Explore and Combine images, feelings, and relationships.
• Connect with YOUR personal narratives. Understand why you CARE? Make it personal.
• Tell your Stories using your Enamel Vocabulary using Design Principles.
• Use your Creativity to make your stories/artwork exciting and compelling.
  

Each one of these is a SKILL. It's not a "talent".
Skills develop through practice, focus, and commitment.
Do you have these skills?
Does a lack of skill in any of these areas limited you?
How?

The good news is that YOU CAN LEARN AND IMPROVE THESE SKILLS!
The Creative Enamel Color Course

• provides a structure and a plan to help you build these skills incrementally.
• uses mini-goals to help you achieve mini-successes. Small and simple steps to learn skill and feel confident.
• guides you through the many challenges you will face.
• challenges you and supports you as you step outside of your comfort zone.
• offers you flexibility so that you can focus on the skills that will help you achieve your goals.
• will will help you focus, step away from your fears and anxiety, and bring a sense of joy and purpose into your life
  

If you want someone to teach you how to make a “souvenir” project, take a class from someone else who teaches that way. If you want to learn the details of enamel work (and are willing to put in effort on your own),  then this may be the class for you. If you want to develop your own style and artistic voice (and you already know some enameling basics),  then this is definitely the class for you.- Bill O

What is keeping you from making the enamel artwork of your dreams?

Here is where I was stuck...

• My focus had been on my "technique" questions; what is the "best way" or "how can I make ...?
• I felt disconnected from my feelings and inner life.
• I was not aware of how to intentionally use my experience and memories to tell personal enamel narratives.
• My self-imposed rules of what was "good or bad" or "right or wrong"  limited my creativity.
• I didn't know how to step out of my "technique" comfort zone.
• I did not know my WHY? I believed that my WHAT and HOW were enough. But this left me feeling empty and uninspired.
  
• I had tons of doubt. Was I "good enough"?
  

 Group Coaching
Makes your learning come alive.

Combining  Zoom classroom discussions and a vibrant Group Forum (without the distractions of Facebook) enables us to talk with each other and not at each other.

• We learn to connect with not only ourselves, but with each other.
  
• We see new perspectives as students share their "point of view".
  
• We learn  WHY we care about what we are making as we also care about our fellow students.
• We connect with ourselves and with each other.

This becomes a magical group learning experience where transformation can occur.
This is different than any live 5-day workshop that I have seen.

• You have TIME to listen: to ourselves and others. The six-week program takes removes some of the urgency that you often feel in a workshop.
• You feel INSPIRED as you see other students make changes.
• You become part of a culture of LEARNING. There is no pressure that you "need to like everything that you make".
  
• We work together and share our strengths so that we can improve our weaknesses.
  

• It's not Me giving YOU the answers.
  
• It's you becoming aware and open. Challenging yourself. Looking within instead of to me.
• It's the other students who support you and share their struggles and journey.
• And it's our Group that joins together to create a safe place for you to escape the pressures of needing to be right, and good, and successful.
  

...the more I thought about why those characteristics were appealing, I was able to reach an emotional response and connect with memories from my childhood. All that to say I am now starting page 4 of brainstorming and understanding what my story is!! Now to brainstorm how to tell that story. This is exactly what I was hoping to get from this class - my story and how to tell it! 
-Mary D.

I am your guide and coach.
Here is how I do it.

Let my experience
be your guide...

• 44 years making/selling my enamel jewelry
• Workshops/presentations at The Enamelist  Society Conferences
• Workshops at craft schools across the USA
• Exhibitor at top craft shows: Smithsonian, Phil. Museum of Art, ACC
• Rio Grande and Youtube instructor
• Creator of the enamelchannel.com

read more about Ricky

Here is what I will do as your coach...

• explain/demonstrate the enamel science and skill relationships.
• help you ask more and different questions
• point out what you are not seeing
• celebrate your small successes
• nurture your creative mindset
• embrace your personal narratives
• challenge you to set more challenging goals while focusing on your mini-goals
• support you as you make the mistakes necessary to change and grow
• become your biggest cheerleader and help you become your biggest cheerleader.

"What I really appreciate about this online class is having time in between the lesson drops to actually let ideas marinate, contemplate the steps I want/need to make, and then proceeding. I’m learning to let go of the need to have a “finished” piece, even as I advance towards that goal. I am experimenting with ideas that I never would have thought about. I am deep down the rabbit hole now, in an immersion sense, that is penetrating the information deep into my psyche, this is stuff I will not forget."
-Melissa V

Student Samples & Testimonials