Welcome to Scorched Eyebrow Studio, offering a modern interpretation of the ancient art of enameling. My name is Paula Lewis and I hand-fire and compose copper enamel collages. The marriage of glass to metal is a tempestuous one, which guarantees it is exciting - both for the artist and the beholder of the work. There is no other medium for me – it is vibrant, strong, temperamental, and supremely beautiful.
Each individual enameled element of Scorched Eyebrow collage undergoes between 3 and 10 firing cycles (clean the metal/apply raw vitreous enamel/fire in my kiln at 1400° - 1650°F for 1 to 5 minutes). I use only lead-free vitreous enamel made in America. After the individual elements have been enameled, I attach them to a background, thoughtfully designed and finished to enhance the enamelwork.
Because I have such a personal relationship with them, I name each of my works. Some may be obvious to the casual observer; some may require explanation - just ask. If you’d like to name one yourself, contact me about a commission piece.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I am the mother of an autistic child. The process of enameling shares much with my beautiful daughter. It is a combination of strength and fragility, rigorous routines and capricious outcomes, beauty and hard work, great vexation and great reward. I find beauty in the unexpected – things random and unintended can be made understandable and meaningful with the right combination of patience, labor, and love.
Boiling Springs,