About - Barbara Minor Enamels
Biography
Barbara Minor, a studio artist living and working in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, concentrates on experimental work and research in enameling. She is well known for her innovative enameled beads, her distinctive enameled jewelry and her unique enameled vessels.
Barbara completed her B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in jewelry and metalsmithing at University of Illinois and Indiana State University. She began enameling during graduate school and continued innovative explorations of enamel processes, with the support of research grants, while teaching at the State University of New York at Geneseo. During this time she began combining enameling with metalsmithing, jewelry forming and fabrication techniques to create narrative reliefs, sculptural objects and jewelry.
Barbara now lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she is a full time studio artist concentrating on limited edition and one-of-a kind enameled beads, jewelry and small objects. A considerable portion of her studio time is devoted to researching and experimenting with enameling techniques in an effort to go beyond the normal and expected enameling results and to answer the ever present question of "what would happen if I did this?". Her research and experimentation leads to many new and wonderful enameled jewelry and bead designs, as well as subject matter for the in-depth enameling workshops she teaches.
Her workshops, lectures and demonstrations include a variety of subjects related to jewelry and enameling on metal, metal forming, and design/pattern development using enamel color. Barbara teaches frequently at well known crafts schools, universities and regional guilds. Her work is exhibited widely across the U.S. and abroad and has been pictured in 500 Enameled Objects, The Art of Enameling, and Art Jewelry Today.
Jewelry
Barbara Minor has been making and selling her enameled jewelry at national juried craft shows and galleries for 30+ years. She is well recognized for her innovative enameled beads and her distinctive jewelry. Her expressive brooches and enamel beads are have been widely collected for over 25 years. The enamel jewelry pictured on this site represents the variety of jewelry pieces she makes and the application of traditional and her experimental enameling techniques.
Workshops in your city
Barbara Minor is an internationally recognized enamel jewelry artist, who will travel to your location to teach workshops on enameling and jewelry making, suitable for all levels of experience and fine tuned for the needs of your group. Classes, varying in length and subject matter, will provide solid information about enameling and jewelry making basics while addressing fundamental, traditional, and experimental methods or innovative approaches to the subject matter at hand. Barbara always tries to focus the class to meet the specific needs of the group hosting the workshop, from beginning through advanced participants. See the pages about Instruction for more information.
