Creativity, painting, drawing, creating objects, sewing, designing jewelry, I saw this as a necessity for my life from an early age and practiced it intensively. Then, during my studies, and later in addition to my university job as a university teacher and my freelance work as a technical translator and court interpreter, I could not do without it and have continuously educated myself as my time allowed me:
Painting, illustration, figurative modeling with clay, artistic printing processes, photography (VHS courses in Erlangen and Munich, courses at the Faber-Castell Academy, graphic design course, photo design course at the Online Schule für Gestaltung OfG). Since 2008, my husband Klaus Hertrich and I have set up an artist’s studio where we both work. He mainly modeling and with clay, I initially only as a painter.
In 2011 I inherited a complete enameling workshop, and I began to deal with metalworking and enameling techniques and learn to love these activities. Mrs. Hannelore Karl from Vienna (metal restorer and lecturer for enameling at the University of Applied Arts) paved the way for me in an intensive introduction. In the process, I came into contact with the legendary historic Schauer jewelry enamels. What can I say? I was immediately on fire, and stuck with it! Studying the books of eminent enamelists became my everyday ritua, and thanks to Angelika Simon-Rössler, Ruth Ball, Andreu Vilasis, Nuria Ribalta, Erhard Brepohl, Edward Winter, Uppi Ontracht, and many others, I had more than enough guidance for my own work.
The year 2019 turned out to be a lucky year for me enamel-wise: I traveled to Porto in May to participate in an experimental open flame enameling course with Marcelo Bessi (Argentina), took an intensive course with master goldsmith and great enameller Angelika Simon-Rössler at the European Academy for Jewelers and Goldsmiths in Ahlen/Westphalia in June, where I worked on the Cloisonne technique.
With Marcelo Bessi, I organized his first enamel course in Germany in August 2019 in my workshop in Erlangen, which was also attended by Mechthild Häußler, Ingeborg Martin and Brigitte Westemeier, and so I got to meet wonderful members of CKI Germany in person. Ingeborg Martin also invited me to enameling on steel with industrial enamel in Altrich at that time, and there I got to know even more members of CKI. After the three Covid19 years, I now hope to be able to meet more people in person.
Enameling has become my central means of expression, including jewelry design. The diverse technical possibilities continue to inspire me. I also love the playful combination of materials.
Some of my artworks
Contact
dr.dietz-hertrich(at)email.de
