Vision and Voice

Your WHY

Asking "technique" questions gives us "technique" answers.
If we change our questions into "artistic" questions, we begin to explore artistic answers.
The question "Why do I care" is a really important artistic question.
My artistic wife says: "If you don't know why you care, why will anyone else care?"
If I know WHY I care, it's much easier to decide on the WHAT and the HOW
My WHY guides me. 

As Simon Sinek covers in his book, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action, knowing your "why" is critically important in life. It is this focus that Ricky Frank employs to help artists/enamelists understand why they are doing something. He then guides students to build on their "why" as they execute their "what" (jewelry/vessel/wall piece) and "how" (enamel & metal techniques)
​- Cullen Hackler, Enamelist Society Board Member

1. Creative Enamel Colors
How do I create and use Creative Enamel Color and Layers?

• Each enamel color is an enamel "letter" in my color alphabet.
• I can combine two letters to form an enamel "word".
• I can combine the colors in 2 ways: next to each other or on top of each other.
• I can combine my enamel "words" to create enamel "phrases".
• I can place my enamel "phrases" next to each other on one layer.
• I can layer my enamel "phrases" on top of one another.
• There are different ways to apply my enamel to create layer variations.
• This becomes my enamel vocabulary.
• As I internalize my vocabulary, I become "fluent".
• I can "think in enamel".
• This is how I begin to discover my enamel "voice".

A NEW WORKSHOP to begin YOUR journey...
​Discover, Explore, and Embrace
Your Enamel Language

Colors, Wires, & Foils

Beyond the technical "How-to" Questions.
What else is possible?
What do I love?
How can I change & combine...?
What inspires and influences me?
How can I "Make it Mine"?

"your teaching method was transformative for me as both an enamel technician and an artist"
-Candie P
If you are new to my style of teaching, please take the time to read "Candie's Story".

Candie's Story

The PAF Basics
Here is what I do when I am enameling...
Prepare
Apply
Fire

Prepare
Prepare Enamel
Prepare Metal
Prepare Foil
Prepare Wires

Apply
Apply Enamel to Metal
Apply Enamel to Enamel
Apply Foil to Enamel
Apply Enamel to Foil
Apply Wires to Enamel

Fire
Fire Enamel to Metal
Fire Enamel to Enamel
Fire Foil to Enamel
Fire Enamel to Foil
Fire Wires to Enamel