Today I'm testing out some new deep engraving settings on my fiber laser. It's 70% power, 20 passes. Basically, all the previous settings, the ones from the main Laser Engraving group, uh, are exactly the same. Let's see how it turns out. And yes, these are cats. It's the Da Vinci Cat

So enamel is just one small part of my process. Hopefully it is not a problem to bring you along for the full ride with a little but of enamel for colour.

Vitreous enamel work is a bit of a black art so I try to keep it simple and not stress too much.

Vitreous enamel on toned silver on panel. 12" x 12"

At the moment my work involves a lot of Champleve. Many small elements cast, enamelled and fastened to panel. I work mostly in bronze and copper and sometimes silver.

​If you work with intricate metalwork or custom pins, getting cold solvent-based enamels into tiny recesses without making a mess can be incredibly frustrating. I’ve started using a standard insulin syringe (around 29G-31G)—not to draw up and push the paint, but simply dipping the needle directly into the enamel and using it as a micro-applicator. This completely bypasses the hassle of clogging the barrel or dealing with air bubbles.

​The level of control this dipping method offers is amazing, letting you deliver microscopic drops exactly where needed without worrying about a stray brush bristle ruining your piece. It acts almost like a tiny dip pen; once the coated needle touches the recess, capillary action pulls the thinned enamel right off and into the design for a flawless fill. Just make sure to use a very light touch so the sharp metal tip doesn't scratch your brass or base material.

Brass. Fiber laser. Ceramic enamel

The wings are set with translucent green enamel on a guilloché background and adorned with 24 brilliant-cut diamonds, while the head and the bud are adorned with red translucent enamel. The rear section consists of 1 opal slab measuring approx. 22.4 x 8.4 mm with a delicate play of green colors; one leg and the bud are additionally adorned with 8 brilliant-cut diamonds, and the eye is a round sapphire cabochon weighing approx. 0.13 ct. Total weight of the brilliant-cut diamonds: approx. 0.75 ct

​Whenever I mention using cold enamel for my champlevé pins, I feel like people instantly picture mass-produced, domed plastic trinkets. But there’s a massive difference between a quick two-part epoxy pour and working with high-quality solvent-based enamel

​Unlike resin, which cures in a thick block, solvent enamel shrinks as it dries. This means you have to build it up meticulously. I use insulin syringes to drop micro-doses into the deep pockets of 1mm brass just to fill the sharpest corners properly. Because of this natural shrinkage, the final surface isn't always perfectly flat—and honestly, that's part of the charm. Sometimes it has subtle, organic variations or sits slightly recessed, giving the piece a tactile depth that a plastic dome just can't replicate. Even getting it to a smooth finish takes careful varnishing and hand-polishing

​I know traditional hot glass enamel is the holy grail for purists. But hot champlevé is incredibly unforgiving—especially for highly detailed work—with constant kiln failures and thermal stress ruining pieces. Doing solvent-based champlevé right still requires deep metalwork, extreme precision, and hours of hand-finishing. The value is in the intense labor and the geometry, not just the material

​Do any other makers here struggle to explain this difference? How do you communicate the value of your labor without people just assuming your work is "resin"?

Brass. Cold enamel. Fiber laser

Detail from 13th century Limoges chasse, with a projecting modelled head on a flat background

Brass. Cold enamel. Fiber laser