Linda Connelly Enamels

Tag: New work

  • Indian Memories – The Story Behind

    Indian Memories – The Story Behind

    In 1994 I went with my husband on what was then the holiday of a lifetime. We went to Rajasthan, and toured all around, visiting Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur and then down to Agra to see the Taj Mahal before returning to Delhi for our flight home. We stayed in Maharaja’s Forts and Palaces which were their former homes. It was a life changing experience and one that has had a lasting effect on my work. I returned to India two years later and toured around Kerala which was also amazing but it was this first trip that really blew my mind and from where I draw much of my inspiration.

    Photo Memories of a trip to Rajasthan

    From the photos above you can see how I became fascinated with the colour, the architecture and of course, we can’t forget the elephants! You can never forget them!

    The colours of the ladies saris; the patterns in carpets and on stone work all feed into my designs. I particularly love the idea of the old fabrics that are handed down through the family, have been handled many times and are slightly worn. I imagine them to be filled with stories and memories of people and places.

    I like experimenting with layering patterns and colours in enamel, overlaying one with another to represent these layers of memories. It is a theme I have returned to many times over the years. My latest ones here use hand made decals combined with a final firing of gold lustre through a screen I made with a design from a Moghul ceiling, to add a subtle hint of pattern and sparkle on top.

    ‘Indian Memories’ Enamels on silver waiting to be set.

    I like to combine different colours with each other to really try to capture the spirit of what I saw and loved. India is full of colour!

    Here are the finished necklaces. The enamels measure 30 mm in diameter and the silver settings are slightly larger. They are in my sterling silver ‘silver moon’ settings that are hallmarked by the London Assay Office. Some of the batch have already been spoken for but the remainder will all be with me at my next show with the Sussex Guild at Mickleham Priory 30 July, 1,2 August 2021. See here for more details.

    ‘Indian Memories’ enamel pendants

    They cost £75 which will include UK postage. I can post elsewhere just ask for a postage quote. Contact me if you are interested. I will put those that are left in my shop after the show.

    Reverse of ‘silver moon’ setting
  • Silver and Enamel Tea strainer inspired by Damascene Tiles at Leighton House, London

    Silver and Enamel Tea strainer inspired by Damascene Tiles at Leighton House, London

    Silver and Enamel Tea Strainer – Damascene Flowers

    I made this for an exhibition with the Guild of Enamellers. The subject was Friendship and Continuity. A tea strainer seemed a perfect choice because what is more friendly than sharing a cup of tea? This piece owes much to the inestimable Rachael Gogerly and Phil Barnes who were both so generous in sharing their knowledge and whose amazing work was so inspirational. Seeing their work has been a constant inspiration to strive to do better and to constantly work to develop my skills and expertise. This piece was a huge challenge for me. I have learnt a huge amount from it and look forward to being able to share what I have learnt. I hope it will act as inspiration to others. The tea strainer is made in two parts and riveted together with tube rivets after polishing. It is champlevé enamel with cloisonné flowers which are inspired by William De Morgan ceramics. It was partially etched to begin and then engraved by hand to form the recess and the texture behind. It measures 81 mm across and stands 12 mm high. The enamel has been polished and the silver rim given a brushed finish to contrast with the shiny rivets and strainer.

    Silver and enamel Tea Strainer – Work in progress
    Time for a cup of tea.

  • “For the Love of an Elephant“ new cloisonné enamel necklace

    “For the Love of an Elephant“ new cloisonné enamel necklace

    For the Love of an Elephant cloisonné enamel necklace

    I made this necklace for the Cookson Gold February Design of the Month competition. The theme was Love and I immediately thought of this title and wanted to make a piece for it.

    The piece is cloisonné enamel on a hand engraved silver base in a silver setting. He is joyful and colourful and I wanted to make something uplifting for these challenging times. He is all dressed up for a festival or a party. He carries a heart in his upturned trunk. In the Hindu tradition an upward pointed trunk dispenses energy, luck and kindness. Elephants do this to greet friends and to express happiness. I hope he will bring happiness to the wearer and spread joy wherever he ends up!

    I was very excited when I heard he was the winning piece. They said ‘The judges chose this piece because they felt the piece was beautifully done and finished to perfection. They also liked the way the theme of love was shown in an non conventional way’. I won £100 to spend which should be quite easy  He has just gone to be hallmarked and then he will be available to purchase. He will cost £230 plus postage. Let me know if you want to reserve him to bring some happiness and joy to your life.

    Update. Buy him here in my Shop!

  • Botanical Gardens – The Latest News

    Botanical Gardens – The Latest News

    I am really excited to announce that my Botanical Gardens – Wisley Necklace has been chosen to be included in the new Association of Contemporary Jewellers (ACJ), exhibition Glasshouses.

    Botanical Gardens – Wisley Necklace

    Botanical Gardens play a vital role in helping to protect the bio-diversity of our planet and helping to support conservation of habitats around the world. The Glasshouses of Kew and Wisley RHS contain plants from around the world so they can be studied and protected.

    This necklace, inspired by Wisley as it lit up for the Festival Of Light, uses cloisonné enamel on a hand-engraved silver base, bezel set. The chain is made from Ecosilver and recalls the large, airy cathedral-like structure of the glasshouses. It can be removed and worn separately.

    Update: Buy here in my shop.

    Watch Linda’s video

    The exhibition brief prompted a whole new range of work and a new direction for me. I am so excited to be included. you can read here more about how it was made and don’t forget my new Video Stories page where I talk about this necklace. This necklace is available for sale through the Sussex Guild Online Shop along with some more of my work and lots from my friends and colleagues.

    New Botanical Gardens Pendants and Earrings

    Here are some new pieces that are available to purchase from my new Online Shop. There are some other pieces there to and I am adding new work on a regular basis. It just takes a long time taking the photos! You can save 10% on your first purchase and get free UK postage by signing up to my new Inside my Studio newsletter. This will give you access to all the latest news as well as special offers and discounts together with all the latest news about Jyppy my studio assistance dog.

    Hope you will join me in this new venture. I am currently trying to write my first one so I would welcome all the support I can get. I think more cake may be required!

    Jyppy, Studio assistant and Head of Dispatch Department

    Jyppy is currently working in the Dispatch Department and here you can see him with the latest order using my Newsletter discount. I am including free environmentally friendly gift wrapping and a complimentary silver cloth with all orders whilst stocks last. He needs to get a move on to catch the lunchtime post!

  • Wisley Botanical Gardens Enamel

    Wisley Botanical Gardens Enamel

    I have been thinking a lot recently about visits to Botanical Gardens and the wonderful collections of plants that they house. I have many happy memories of visiting Kew Gardens as a young child with my grandparents when you got in for 1 old penny in the turnstile. Years later I remember getting locked in when I went there for a picnic to celebrate a friends birthday after work. Champagne and strawberries in the rhododendron dell and we didn’t hear the little bell they used to ring. We had to walk around the perimeter until we found a cottage where someone was living. It was well before mobile phones. As a family we enjoy days out to gardens of all types and often visit Wisley RHS and Kew. I am always drawn to the cathedral like structures of the glasshouses whether they are the a Victorian structures at Kew or the much more modern one at Wisley with its state of the art computer controlled light, heat and ventilation. Entering the Glasshouse at Wisley is like walking into a jungle with tree ferns, tall palms, lush-leaved creepers and dazzling flower displays giving a feeling of lushness and drama. Sometimes it is home to thousands of butterflies which adds another dimension to the display. During the winter they have a Festival of Lights where plants on the glasshouse are lit by coloured lights from beneath giving extra colour and drama.

    I spent a long time looking at the many hundreds of photos I have taken over the years. Due to the lockdown I wasn’t actually able to visit any of these places again but the photos really helped. I spent a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon on the patio drawing ideas.

    I decided to work on silver and to engrave the piece before forming the wires for a cloisonné design. I made a film about part of this process that you can see on my Tutorials page. Here are some pictures of the piece in progress.

    The silver has been cut, formed and engraved. First I add a layer of transparent enamel and fire in the kiln before I start to add the wires that I have shaped using the design I have drawn. It’s a long process.
    The enamel is laid in thin layers and each layer is fired in the kiln for around two minutes.
    More layers have been added and fired to build up the depth of colour and shading.
    Even more layers.
    When the cells are nearly full I grind the whole piece. I am aiming to have the whole piece level without any areas which are lower than the rest. This is done in stages. More can be seen in the films on my Tutorials page.
    This is the final firing when only a few cells need a little more enamel to fill them
    The final piece. It has been fired and ground down and then polished by hand to make it shiny again. It feels silky to the touch. It is now ready for a setting to be made.

    Check out my Video Stories to learn more about this necklace and to see more videos of my work.

  • New Cloisonné Enamel Necklaces

    I finished these two cloisonné necklaces this afternoon. They are all on silver in silver settings. The Enamels for the two Magic Carpet necklaces measure 30mm. These are inspired by Magic Carpets, infused with memories and dreams of places visited and people known, in the past and in the future. I hope their new owners fill them with their own Magical Memories and Dreams. The other is part of my Mystical Domes series and is around 35mm in diameter. These are inspired by my fascination with domes, my love of the Brighton Pavilion, St Paul’s cathedral and the Mughal architecture I saw in Rajasthan, combined with stories of the mythical lands of Arabian Nights. One of the Magic Carpets is sold and the other will be coming with me to Farnham Festival of Crafts at the weekend. Unless anyone wants to buy it before it gets there of course!

    Magic Carpet Cloisonné Enamel necklaces
    Magic Carpet Cloisonné Enamel necklaces

    Mystical Domes Cloisonné Enamel necklace
    Mystical Domes Cloisonné Enamel necklace

  • Jyp’s Jewels – Ladybird Magic Carpet Pendant

    Jyp’s Jewels – Ladybird Magic Carpet Pendant

    Jyp DogIntroducing Jyp the dog, my faithful Workshop Apprentice and Chief Watch Dog. This year, following on from my occasional Blog Post series, ‘Jyp’s Jewels’ I have decided to make him a monthly feature. Every month, Jyp will present to you his favourite piece. I have insisted that he only chooses jewellery and not bones or balls!

    Ladybird Magic Carpet Pendant

    The first piece for 2016, is a custom ‘Magic Carpet’ pendant in one of my hand made silver moon settings. This was commission for a client who was giving it as a special birthday gift to a lady who loved Ladybirds.

    magic carpet pendant ladybird

    I had lots of fun designing it and you can see I have included flowers and leaves too. The piece is cloisonne enamel on fine silver, in a sterling silver silver moon setting. We decided to do just one colour and let the silver wire delineate the design, making it a more sophisticated piece than having it bright colours. The design has been highlighted with flecks of pure gold before rubbing down and finely polishing.

  • Getting Started and the Design Process

    Getting Started and the Design Process

    This morning’s blog post by Grace Marshall http://grace-marshall.com/starting-badly/ really resonated with me and I have to share it because it is a problem familiar to most artists and designers. I had a design to do for a client that was a little out of my comfort zone. I did some preparatory sketches some time ago and it has been sitting waiting for me to get back to it. A few weeks ago I spent some time on Pinterest making a board to help whilst I was sitting watching telly one evening. I was ready to start but whenever I have some time, somehow I always found something else to do, like actually making something in my studio. Mother’s Day afternoon was a perfect opportunity. It was wet and dismal so husband and I divided the dining room table in half. He did what he wanted to do on one half, and I set myself up with pens, pencils and the chocolates my son had bought me. As I always tell my students, starting is the hardest thing. It is so true. I had been putting it off until I could see the finished design in my mind but it wasn’t happening. I needed to actually work through things with paper and pens to get to where I wanted to be.

    To start with, I sketched elements that were troubling me from the inspiration board on Pinterest that I had made. I did this from my iPad. Then I incorporated elements into drawings I had already made. When I work on designs I repeatedly trace them, incorporating changes each time. This time I used the scanner on my printer which saved a lot of time as I just needed to draw on top of the last print and then trace that and repeat the process. Over the course of the afternoon the design evolved into something I am really pleased with. I also used the scanner on my printer to change the size. Eventually I was pleased with my design and I could add colour. I feel such a sense of achievement! I can’t wait to show my client. Hope she likes it. Let me know how you get over the problem when you are stuck. I would love to know and perhaps we can learn from each other.