Erika Speel

Initially coming from oil painting, coincidentally, Erika found fascination in exploring enamel art and craft. It became the dominant interest: the versatility, properties of enamels and the immediacy of working with the materials and firing process was the initial draw. The progression of enamels used for art and ornamentation over the centuries became a parallel preoccupation: as an historian of enamels and enamelling, she studied the essential nature of glass, the properties of the colouring agents, the physical changes in firing, and the specialisations of centres of the great range of artistic, decorative and practical applications developed over more than a thousand years. She was drawn especially to Byzantine cloisonné enamelwork. Erika was trained initially chiefly in the cloisonné technique, and often uses an adaptation of cloisonné in a modified manner, suited to the making of series of panels up to 20 cm. across. For this, her recurring themes have been as stylised figural series: depicting enamelling workshops of the past, Murano glass makers, bookshops, antiques shops, scenes of modern life and some fantasy designs. In addition, she makes ornamental items with colourful, free-form patterning, suitable for wall panels, door number plates, furniture insets and lidded bowls.