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Conversations with Amy Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Johnson.

Hi Amy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi, my name is Amy. I am inspired by color and texture. My whole life I have dabbled in different art forms. My journey with vitreous enamel started when I took a class in Bloomington, MN back in 2016. At that point, I was making jewelry with a variety of different metals and wanted to explore more techniques to breathe some life into my jewelry. Back then, I didn’t know anything about enamel.

I didn’t even know that I would be working with glass. I took one class in enameling and I was hooked immediately. The vibrant color palette was beautiful! The process of taking powdered glass in an array of colors, and heating it with a torch or kiln to make a jewel-like surface, was magical! This class was like heaven on earth! The instructor was Jean VanBrederode of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, a well-known master enamel artist. Jean, a former English teacher, taught this class with amazing clarity.

She would first explain the steps we would be doing through a PowerPoint. Then we would immediately start working on the process with her by our side. My project was an enameled book pendant. I learned how to bind pages for the book pendant, cut copper shapes with a jeweler’s saw, apply enamel and torch fire to a glassy surface, and then assemble the different pieces. That was the first of many more projects. I have been in touch with Jean ever since that first day of enameling. I text her on a regular basis asking questions.

We both share with each other the projects we are working on. Her home studio shop is my one-stop shop for enamels and enameling supplies. Jean also has a major East Coast learning destination studio in her home called Charmed I’m Sure Studio which features some of the most popular national and international instructors of jewelry making, enameling, and mixed media. Jean has been a great mentor and friend throughout my journey.

Since taking this class my journey in this art has continued. I work almost daily in my studio learning different techniques. I have been told by some of the bests enamellists in the country that I will never learn everything about enamel in my lifetime. My desire is to keep learning.

There is a wealth of knowledge to be learned from the master enamellists. Ricky Frank, Jan Harrell, Anne Havel, Lara Ginzburg, and Anne Dinan are a few of the instructors I have taken classes from. When I am not taking a class, I look to learning from my peers as well as learning through books, videos, and social media.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many bumpy roads along the way. Making beautiful enamel jewelry doesn’t just happen. There’s definitely a learning curve. Many days I will work in my studio for 8 hours or more and accomplish absolutely nothing. It is very frustrating, but it is part of the process of learning this art form. Sometimes glass just doesn’t want to adhere to the metal and pops off.

There are times the sequence of colors I use turns out muddy. Then there are times when I am trying to get a certain effect and the glass refuses to move like I want it to. There are so many variables that make working with enamels a challenge. I have many times wanted to throw the towel in and walk away from this art. But there is that burning desire inside me that continues to challenge me to push even further. It’s like solving a puzzle, you just keep changing the variables until you figure it out.

It’s those moments when the enamel flows how I envisioned or when it happily surprises me that I do my happy dance and want to come back for more. Vitreous Enamel is a beautiful art. It’s the colors and the beauty of it that makes my heart full.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an artist that specializes in vitreous enamel. Vitreous enamel is glass that is fired with a kiln or torch to a temperature of 1450 degrees then liquefies and adheres to a metal surface. I am known for creating beautiful arrays of colorful jewelry with a glass-like surface. Vitreous enamel has been around for centuries, however today fewer artist work with this art form.

I am one of the very few artists in the state of Minnesota that exclusively works with this enamel. I am very proud to be continuing this ancient art form. Keeping this art alive is important to me. I want people to see the beauty of this art, to stare at it, and be drawn to it. It’s my passion to create beautiful wearable art for my customers to enjoy and cherish for many years to come.

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