The Guild of Enamellers is delighted to announce Valentina Boneva as the 2019 winner of their annual Bursary Award. Valentina recently completed the HND Jewellery at Glasgow Kelvin College, Glasgow.

Valentina started working with enamels this year as a means to add colour to her work and to complement the use of gemstones in pieces. Valentina’s innovative selection pieces were complex and transformable pieces comprising an etched and enamelled boat “stand” that deconstructed into earrings, necklaces and a ring. Valentina is passionate about enamelling and wants to incorporate it into her future jewellery and silversmithing projects where it will complement traditional techniques such as etching, stone setting and fold forming. The Bursary Award package will allow Valentina, who is Edinburgh based, to experiment further with other techniques and to expand her enamelling knowledge. Sponsorship will allow Valentina to benefit from conference, workshop and masterclass attendance, printed and online resources, Guild teaching DVDs, enamel tools, equipment and supplies vouchers, enamel sample sets and one year’s membership of both the Guild of Enamellers and the British Society of Enamellers.

The Guild is extremely grateful to joint sponsors The British Society of Enamellers, W G Ball Ltd, Proops Brothers Ltd, Milton Bridge Ceramic Colours and Vitrum Signum for supporting the Bursary Award.  

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, Sarah Christian, Estelle Burton, Signe Sternum and Debbie King were awarded runner-up prizes. The prize packages will encourage Valentina and the runners-up to further develop their enamelling skills and exploration of the medium within the supportive networks offered.

The selection panel was impressed by the quality and diversity of the submissions, and were heartened to see the use of traditional techniques such as cloisonné, pliqué-à-jour and champlevé along with more contemporary approaches to enamelling. It was clear that the applicants had a real enthusiasm, passion and flare for enamelling. Both the Guild of Enamellers and the British Society of Enamellers will offer support and networking opportunities to all the applicants as they pursue their enamelling journey.

Bursary application information for the 2020 Award will be available online (www.guildofenamellers.org) from April 2019.

Julie Rattray

Bursary Secretary

Raymond Jackson's research article on transparent enamels on copper and silver may be downloaded here:

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Hans Theilade Memorial Bowl

Winner: Amanda Vickery

Highly commended: Anne Halligan and Norma Sales

Fred Barnes Memorial Trophy

Winner: Rachel Emmerson for her champleve pendant and earrings

Highly commended: Marion Edwards (plique a jour pendant) and Inger Trust Mertz (turquoise champleve pendant)

Kenneth Benton Award

Winner: Julie Rattray for her airbrush and stencil panels

Peter Wolfe Cloisonne Cup

Winner: Linda Bark for her longship pendant

The Painting Award

Winner: Maggie Cundy for her Hugin and Mugin raven pictures

The Rachel Gogerly Memorial Award

Winner: Rachel Emmerson

Chairman's Rose Bowl

Winner: Sharon Ford

Highly commended: Julie Rattray

May Yarker/Enameller Elect

Winner: Jeanette Hannaby for "Dartmoor"

Themed Exhibition

Joint Winners: Dorothy Cockrell and Jane Geeson

Young Enamellers Awards

Under 16: Cerys Manning

Under 11: Griffin Manning

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