by MaryAnn Carroll
Today I just want to share a little bit about what my friend and LMAJ associate, Karen McGovern, does with discs that I create specifically for her two or three times a year. What I love about working with Karen is that she gives me lots of freedom and doesn't put limits, directions, expectations, etc. on the custom order. I am not one for custom orders because I am a little obsessive and worry that things will not turn out okay. They tend to take me twice as long. I prefer to create freely without the unpleased customer's fictitious voice echoing in my head, "that's not what I envisioned, wrong color, I don't really like that... etc."
Karen simply let me know that she didn't need any reds or yellows. I forgot about the yellow part between the message I read upstairs in my house and the walk to the basement where my very messy studio is! Whoops! It's the old being in your 50's thing. You'll see a couple yellows below. I am not a fan of yellow, so it isn't something I tend to favor, unless it has earthy tones to it.
She did tell me the she gravitated toward the discs that are the light caribbean blue, so I decided to make lots for this order in various sizes. The discs range from eensy weensy (1/4") to large (1 3/8"). It is actually those two sizes that are the toughest to enamel. The larger take longer and many coats to achieve a rich color and with the smalls, you have to be careful to be fast, so that the copper doesn't melt in the flame. The color can disappear from that size in a couple of seconds as well as the disc itself!
Here is what I finished up last night.
What I find amazing is how Karen uses these in so many different ways. I think anyone that see her work would agree that she is incredibly talented.
And some of my favorites.....
Karen also offers a tutorial about one way to use discs.
