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Enameled Drums: I make these beads using the same process that I use for the copper drums. Instead of lacquering them, I enamel the surfaces. I use only one kind of enamel, known as “flux.” The enamel that I use is made up of finely ground particles of glass which, when fired at about 1450EF, fuse together leaving a smooth, glassy surface on the beads. This enamel has no color added to it and it is completely transparent. By varying the time and temperature that the enamel is fired at in my kiln, I can obtain a variety of effects and colors. When I fire the beads for a shorter time at a relatively low temperature, they turn out red because oxides form on the copper surface and are trapped under the layer of glass. If I fire them a bit longer or hotter, these oxides are absorbed into the glass resulting in a golden color. By deliberately over-firing the beads to higher temperatures, I can obtain shades of blue and green as copper from the bead is absorbed by the glass.
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