Enamelist profile
From jewelry to large-scale enamel art
Mary Raymond started enameling in the early seventies after attending night school for a couple of semesters to learn the basics. She began making torch-fired jewelry pieces and used the proceeds from her jewelry to purchase her first kiln. From there, she continued to build a repertoire of various techniques, mostly self-taught or achieved through experimentation.
She attended many Enamellist Society conferences and workshops, both in the USA and Australia. By taking part in these ventures she expanded her horizons enormously, giving her new ideas and direction. Mary attributes her biggest influences to Jenny Gore, Charles Lewton-Brain, and Harold Balazs.
Over the years she has taken on major commissions such as Terra Australis for the foyer of an insurance company, The Escarpment for the foyer of a hospital, and Sails for a Barrier Reef resort. Her bowls and plates have been purchased by many visitors to Australia and have consequently traveled to many parts of the world.
Mary belonged to the Enamellers Association based in Sydney and was also a member of The Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW. The Society has a gallery at The Rocks in Sydney, where she sold her work for many years. The gallery operates like a co-op, and Mary also worked there two days a month. Visit The Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW.
Selected works
Large-scale enamel commissions
Selected enamel works by Mary Raymond, including the architectural commissions Terra Australis and The Escarpment.
