Hand Crafted Metal Enamel Dish

Barbara Frost began working in metal enameling around seven years ago when she first took classes at the Cultural Arts Center here in Columbus….she now teaches the evening enameling classes there and loves it.  She quickly recognized that this was a medium she had a special affinity for, combining her love of the color spectrum with both actual and visual surface textures and abstract designs.  As a full time registered architect and interior designer working on her own, these are attributes she knows well and has used over the years in her architectural designs.

As a beginning enamelist, she started with very small projects but has evolved into a producer of larger works as her skills have grown.  The purchase of her own large kiln in 2003 allowed her to pursue her ambitions at her own pace while developing specific techniques and color palettes.

Attending numerous enameling conferences has given her a great appreciation for the enameling traditions that have been established since the mid 1950’s.  Meeting some of the world’s best enamelists has encouraged her greatly, and she enjoys the compatibility she feels with them.

Enameling itself is the process of applying finely ground colored glass to a metal (copper) base and fusing it at approximately 1500 degrees F for 2-5 minutes for each firing.  All items have many layers on each side, which take time to develop.  Many of Barbara’s pieces have a natural organic simplicity to them which coordinate well with today’s interiors, which is her intent as an architect.  While her bowls, pictures and jewelry have been shown and sold at the Cultural Arts Center gift shop for several years, she has started to exhibit and sell in other venues, specifically at the Hayley Gallery in New Albany.  She has won many honors for her bowls and enameled wall pieces, including a significant award from the Ohio Designers Craftsmen in the professional division of the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit.

Barbara and her husband, Chuck Ashton, have lived in Westerville for over 28 years and have one son, Mateus, who is 25 and also lives in Westerville. 

Barbara Allen Frost