By Sandra Zunino
If someone says Emie Andrulewich of Kent Island is carrying a torch, it’s true! Local artist and maker of Firegirl Designs jewelry, Emie uses extreme heat to turn silver, copper, enamel and even sea glass into free flowing wearable art.
Emie’s passion for art started at a young age. She says she has always enjoyed painting pictures and creating sculptures. After obtaining her degree in art education, she took a variety of workshops in enameling and metalsmithing and worked with several different artists including a sculptor and impressionistic painter to develop her techniques.
While Emie started out painting, she began making jewelry about 18 years ago and launched her own business, Firegirl Designs, almost two years ago. She now sells her jewelry in local shops, at art shows and through her online store.
Emie chose the name Firegirl because using the heat of a kiln or propane torch is integral to her cloisonné enamel creations. “I guess I’ve always liked taking chances with my artistic work,” says Emie.
Cloisonné, French for “closed self”, is an ancient technique used for decorating metalwork objects including jewelry. Emie uses a kiln, which is a small 12-inch-by-12-inch furnace to maintain temperatures of up to 1800 degrees. She often fires a piece seven or eight times to obtain the desired effects. The enamel material she works with starts out in powdered form. After heating and bending the frame of fine silver or copper, she applies one layer after another of the colored enamels and solidifies and fuses them to the metal by placing the piece in the kiln for a few minutes between each layer.
Emie says she enjoys experimenting to see what accidents might turn into happy surprises. “I love the look of enamel because it’s almost like a tiny painting within itself,” she says.
The highly technical process requires a great deal of precision as each enamel reacts differently to temperatures. Some melt down quicker than others, and overheating can cause oranges, yellows and reds to turn muddy brown. “You have to know how each enamel reacts and take that into account when you are firing a piece multiple times,” says Emie.
Emie says she enjoys the unpredictable nature of working with the torch and the kiln. “Because you are subjecting the material to heat, you never really know what to expect,” she says. “I like to create something that’s unique. There is no way to mass produce a piece and no two pieces are exactly alike.”
Growing up in a small, rural town, Emie gathers much of her inspiration for her designs from nature. Her designs reflect an earthy and almost ancient appeal with swirls and spirals intrinsic to the environment. “I don’t do things with hard edges or geometric designs,” she says. “Everything I do, I take from observing nature.”
Emie makes gathering sea glass a family activity, enlisting her husband and two daughters to help find such treasures on local beaches and shores. “I find it fascinating how being exposed to the elements, sand, rocks and water can turn a piece of ordinary glass into a beautiful sea gem,” she says.
For more information about Firegirl Designs or view some of Emie’s jewelry creations and oil paintings, visit www.firegirldesigns.net.
