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Pewter embossing: an interview with Elitia Hart - profile of artist Elitia Hart
Arts & Activities, Oct, 2002 by Harriet Gamble
Elitia Hart is a South African artist who recently immigrated to Calgary in Alberta, Canada, with her family. Having worked with and explored a variety of crafts, Elitia had her "eureka" moment when she discovered pewter repousse. She now creates one-of-a-kind pewter embossed pieces and teaches classes in the technique--a technique quite new to the area in which she now lives.
In the interview that follows, Elitia shares her interesting history, her evolution as a repousse artist, and the techniques and procedures used to create her pieces.
H.G. Tell us a little about your background--where you grew up and how you discovered art.
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E.H. I grew up in Pretoria, South Africa, and in the early 1980s, my father was appointed as the military attache in Paris, France, As a teenager, I had the wonderful luxury of having the Louvre in our "backyard" and the opportunity to spend many hours wandering through an abundance and variety of art. I attended the British School of Paris and studied art as an O-level subject. On our return to South Africa studied languages at the University of Pretoria, persuaded by my parents that "art did not put food on the table." Then, in the early '90s, I completed a short course in stained glass art at the Pretoria Technical College and was completely absorbed by this craft until my husband, children and I moved to the Cape Province a couple of years later. The fishing village of Houtbay, where we settled, was home to many talented artists and I worked for crafter, Jan Lister, painting kiln-fired crystal glassware with liquid gold.
H.G. How did you go from glass to pewter?
E.H. I have always enjoyed a variety of crafts--like fabric paint and decoupage--but my "eureka" moment came when I was first introduced to pewter embossing by a friend. My friend Helena Scheibe's interest in pewter art was stirred when her childhood friend, Jeannine Rynners, inherited an old pewter mirror made by her mother.
H.G. Tell us a little about the history of pewter embossing in South Africa.
E.H. In the 1950s, pewter embossing and copper work were popular crafts in South Africa and, with rudimentary tools and pewter sheeting imported from England, many households had at least one pewter artwork. When sanctions were implemented against South Africa in the later years because of the apartheid policy, pewter sheeting could no longer be imported and the craft could no longer be practiced. Very little was documented on pewter embossing and, by trial and error, Helena and Jeanine developed a contemporary approach and practical method now used by many crafters and teachers in South Africa. I attended many of Helena's workshops and classes, and my love and enthusiasm for this craft knew no bounds.
H.G. Why were you attracted to this craft?
E.H. The richness of art metal, the versatility of the pewter sheeting, and the almost instant gratification obtained by working with this medium makes it an ideal craft for those of us with a low boredom threshold--even repeating the same design very seldom leaves me with an exact copy, as a slight change in approach completely alters the end result. I am hooked on translating form and texture into metal through the process of pewter repousse. Additionally, I love combining the pewter with other metal foils such as copper and brass foil, as well as using metal paints and glass beads. This creates endless decorative possibilities, and the variety is only limited by your imagination.
H.G. What is it about pewter embossing that you love?
E.H. There are so many reasons I love working with pewter that trying to express them all might make me sound besotted! Pewter embossing provides me with the opportunity to create modern day heirlooms. I love that it is easy to work with and very affordable. I love the sense of accomplishment I experience whenever I complete a project--and the same sense of pride my students experience when they work with this medium. When I was first introduced to pewter embossing, I was instantly drawn to the rich luster of the metal, and like many people, had confused the art of pewter relief modeling with the process of hard pewter casting, where an expensively equipped workshop is needed to melt down and cast the pewter. I was amazed and thrilled when I learned that with a few basic tools, a small tray as workspace, and readily available pewter sheeting, I could easily create beautiful things that looked like they had taken a medieval craftsman many laborious hours to make. I lost my mother to cancer last January after a long illness. I found escape and comfort from the helplessness I felt working with the metal. While she was ill, I made my mom a pewter hand mirror. Before she passed away, she asked my father to return it to me so that I could pass it on to my daughter, Megan. Without ever thinking about it, my mom gave me another reason to love pewter--she had considered my work special enough to pass it on to be cherished by my children in the years to come. Who would have thought that I could ever make something so special--a family heirloom?
