Harriet (or Firefly as she is known) is inspired by the intricate work of enamellists across the world and the shiny, colourful and permanent process of melted glass on metal.

Enamels are made by fusing finely-ground coloured glass to metal at a very high temperature.  It’s a technique that goes back to the 13th Century.

Harriet usually enamels on copper and her style is contemporary, fun, sometimes quirky, but always with an eye to colour and form.

She uses a kiln heated to anywhere between 790°C to over 900°C.  At these temperatures, copper becomes cherry red and enamel does unexpected things.  A seemingly magical process produces an alchemy of glass, oxides and pigments which transforms the powdered glass into beautiful coloured pieces.

‘Enamel is a wonderful permanent medium’ says Harriet ‘and my jewellery, vessels and other items will remain as vibrant as the day they emerged from the kiln’.

Aside from her enamel work, Harriet is also a talented watercolour artist. Living in the Herefordshire countryside has given Harriet plenty of opportunity to study and paint the natural world, particularly the world of flowers, birds and insects.

‘I couldn’t capture the ethereal qualities and softness I wanted to portray with oils or acrylics so I taught myself to paint in watercolour – a decision I have never regretted’.

Surrounded by inspiration from fields, hedgerows, and her own garden, Harriet studies her subjects with careful attention to detail, but her intention is not to recreate a photo like image but to interpret them in a way that is fluid, sometimes bold but always beautiful.