PRESS RELEASE
April 13, 2012 - May 5, 2012
The Art Spirit Gallery is proud to host this show of 16 of the best and brightest enamellists from throughout the United States. We are proud to honor artist Harold Balazs with a show of 32 of his new enamels and 78 additional pieces by his artist friends. The opening reception and ArtWalk is on lucky Friday the 13th of April from 5-8. Meet Harold and friends and check out their latest works. Enjoy an evening of fine art, fine dining and good friends in beautiful downtown Coeur d’Alene. Everyone is welcome!
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Enamel Artists included:
Harold Balazs –Mead, WA
Harlan Butt –Denton, TX
Mary Chuduk –Tempe, AZ
Delia DeLapp –Eagle, ID
Allen Dodge –Coeur d’Alene, ID
Mary Dee Dodge –Coeur d’Alene, ID
Jan Arthur Harrell –Houston, TX
Michael Horswill –Hayden Lake, ID
Lynne Hull –Mountlake Terrace, WA
John Killmaster –Middleton, ID
Cheryl Leo-Gwinn –Redmond, WA
Barbara Minor –Baton Rouge, LA
Sarah Perkins –Springfield, MO
Averill Shepps –Mechanicsburg, PA
Judy Stone –El Cerrito, CA
Jean Tudor –Edgewood, WA
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Enameling is a centuries-old art form that combines the seductive surface of colored glass with the alchemical appeal of fire and metalwork. In its simplest form, enamel is the high-heat fusion of glass powders to a durable surface—glass, ceramics, but most typically metal, such as gold, silver, aluminum, copper or steel. Enamel techniques parallel developments in pottery glazing and date to ancient Egypt and Greece. It is as familiar as old advertising signage and cooking utensils to the fantasy of Faberge’s elaborately-decorated eggs.
Variations of enamel techniques include cloisonné, resembling stained glass with each section of color segregated by delicate wire; crisply-edged stenciling, andsgraffito, which allows for intricate lines to be drawn into the enamel prior to firing. Large, small, on curved surfaces or flat, enamel is a most versatile art form in the hands of master artists.
One of those master artists is Harold Balazs, whose work in enamel dates back to the 1940s. A member of the Enamellist Society and a much-loved and respected artist, Balazs will exhibit more than 30 pieces, most of them the vibrantly-colored flat panels for which he is best known.
In addition to contributing artwork to the exhibition, Balazs provided more than a dozen names of nationally-recognized enamel artists whose work he admired, many of whom he has worked with or even mentored. The list was winnowed to include published authors, Enamelist Society members, internationally-recognized artists, and innovators in the field:
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The Art Spirit Gallery is open Tues.-Sat. from 11-6 at 415 Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. 208-765-6006. steve@TheArtSpiritGallery.com
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