Pat Johnson
Pat Johnson is based in West London.
Pat has a degree in Chemistry and is self-taught in the art of enamelling. After several years of working out how to use enamels as a fine art medium, she saw the enamel work of Beryl Turpin, who explained more about the process of using enamels. Beryl Turpin is the inventor of the high-firing techniques which are the basis of Pat’s practice.
Enamelling is the process of melting glass particles on to a surface of metal, in Pat’s case, copper, and a process which has been used for 5000 years. She uses every part of the enamelling technique to create colour and texture effects, in particular the reactions between the copper and glass particles (called ‘enamels’).
With each new layer of colour and design, the work requires a new firing. This means that the enamelling is a process which requires time to develop and for the work to fully emerge. The precision needed to attain the right colour and finish means that each firing is timed to 10 second intervals.
Her enamelled bowls are the result of almost completely interactions of the materials. She says of her influence that, ‘for years I have loved rocks and stones and read as much as I could about geology, only to realise recently many of my enamelling techniques are like geological processes speeded up.’ She tries to make her pieces as meaningful as the wonderful works of nature she finds when out for a walk.
Primavera has a collection of around 20 individual pots made by Pat.