We are delighted to announce Natasha Burns as the winner of our annual Bursary Award. Natasha, who recently graduated from De Montfort University Leicester with a BA (Hons) Design Crafts, drew inspiration from landscapes, coastlines and what can be discovered within them.  Natasha’s submission, which consisted of 3D vessels and mixed media wall art, demonstrated a strong design element and considerable skills in metal forming, construction and piercing, enamelling and decorative techniques. The use of formed copper shim, a limited enamel colour palette and multiple firing and overfiring enabled her to capture the movement, textures and colour of water.

The Bursary Award will allow Natasha to further refine and expand her enamelling skills whilst setting up her studio and introducing enamelling to future undergraduate students as part of her role as Artist in Residence at De Montfort University. 

The Guild is extremely grateful to joint sponsors The British Society of Enamellers, W G Ball Ltd, craft&design Magazine, Milton Bridge Ceramic Colours and Vitrum Signum for supporting the Bursary Award.  Sponsorship will allow Natasha to benefit from conference, workshop and masterclass attendance, printed and online resources, Guild teaching DVDs, free editorial and promotion in craft&design Magazine, a year’s subscription to craft&design, one to one business mentoring, enamel equipment and supplies vouchers, enamel sample sets and one year’s membership of both the Guild of Enamellers and the British Society of Enamellers. 

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Karolina Baines, Justyna Kus, Beatrice Wall and Sophie Warringham were awarded runner-up prizes. The prize packages will encourage Natasha and the runners-up to further develop their enamelling skills and exploration of the medium within the supportive networks offered.

The quality and enthusiasm of all the applicants was noted by the selection panel, and the diversity of work submitted bodes well for the future of enamelling in the UK.

Bursary applications for next year's Award will be available from April 2016.

Click here to go to the GALLERY OF APPLICANTS WORK

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Members will be sad to hear that Christina Mepham passed away very suddenly on 17th March 2015. Her son Roger would love to hear from any enamelling friends and colleagues who remember her. If you would like to get in touch his email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Region 4 has an exhibition, "All Fired Up" at Bilston Craft Gallery from 15.11.14 - 13.12.14

With work from eleven members in six display cases and on the walls, there are a variety of techniques on display on copper, silver and steel. The exhibition shows work from newer members of the group combined with pieces from more experienced enamellers including a founder member of the Guild. The gallery is open Tuesdays to Saturdays with details available from the link below. I am greatly indebted to those who have given up their energy and time in creating this exhibition (we have been waiting for a slot at the Gallery following a suggestion I made back about five years ago!) from those who typed labels to those who physically set it up and hope you will be able to visit.

http://www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/events/fired/

Mark Painter

More photos on Facebook. Click on the right

Guild of Enamellers’ Bursary Award 2015.

The Guild of Enamellers is delighted to announce Josephine Conkie as the 2015 winner of their annual Bursary Award. Josephine, who recently graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing, drew inspiration from self-penned short stories and used her graphic design, enamelling and silversmithing skills to produce wearable art. The submitted pieces incorporated self-designed and existing artwork applied to enamelled steel. The imagery was enhanced using techniques such as sifting, sgraffito, enamel painting and matting, adding subtle colour, texture and depth to the pieces which were then silver mounted. Josephine’s application showed real depth of knowledge, a real passion for enamelling and an ability to use traditional enamelling techniques in an experimental, creative and contemporary way.

The Guild of Enamellers Bursary Award will allow Josephine to further refine and expand her enamelling skills as she continues her studies on the Master of Fine Art (MFA) programme in Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art and as she sets up her studio space.

The Guild is extremely grateful to joint sponsors The British Society of Enamellers, W G Ball Ltd, craft&design Magazine and Vitrum Signum for continuing to fund the Bursary Award. Sponsorship will allow Josephine to benefit from conference, workshop and masterclass attendance, printed and online resources, Guild teaching DVDs, free editorial and promotion in craft&design Magazine, a year’s subscription to craft&design, one to one business mentoring, enamel equipment and supplies vouchers from Vitrum Signum and the British Society of Enamellers and one year’s membership of both the Guild of Enamellers and the British Society of Enamellers.

The selection panel were heartened by the quality, standard and diversity of the work submitted and by the enthusiasm and innovation shown by the enamellers of the future. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors 4 runner-up prizes were awarded (Galit Barak, Kathryn Partington, Katie Petrie and Maria Torres), and all applicants were awarded one year’s membership of both the Guild of Enamellers and the British Society of Enamellers. The membership packages will encourage applicants to further develop their enamelling skills and exploration of the medium within the supportive networks offered.

Bursary applications for the 2016 Award will be available online from April 2015, and the closing date will be 31^st July 2015.  

Julie Rattray

Bursary Secretary