By the Bay has proudly featured the copper enamel pieces of Bovano since 1995. Over time, they have become an integral part of our gallery and one of our most popular crafts. We have many customers who travel to Morro Bay regularly just to add to their collection. Anyone who has ever tried this medium has tremendous respect for the amount of work and skill that goes into every one of these sculptures.

In addition to fine craftsmanship, some of the reasons that we love them:

• These sculptures are comprised of glass fused to copper at 1600 degrees. As a result, they look beautiful and they don’t fade. They are perfectly appropriate for any room in the house. We particularly love them for bathrooms, kitchens and patios - it is so difficult to find quality art for these areas of the house that is not damaged by heat and moisture.
• They accent framed pieces, such as pictures and mirrors, beautifully. They work together to draw the eye to your favorite art pieces.
• Because these pieces are sculptural in design, they will not overwhelm a small space such as a narrow wall or niche like a framed piece might.
• These pieces group beautifully! Because Bovano uses consistent color formulas in their glass and offers a large selection of companion pieces, you can group them to fit your space requirement. We have offered some suggested companion pieces, but don’t be afraid to try others. They all work together - really!
• They make great gifts for someone who has everything.

About the Process
It all starts with a single sheet of copper. From this sheet, a variety of shapes are cut that will ultimately become the individual pieces for your Bovano sculpture. These pieces are forged and etched to create dimension. The next step is a very delicate process in which a highly skilled enameller powder coats each piece by hand, adding layer upon layer of beautiful color. The placement of the individual grains of powdered glass adds to the uniqueness of the pieces they create. Once the pieces have been dusted with the powdered glass, they must be carefully transferred to the kiln which heats them to an overwhelming 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. At this high temperature, the glass becomes fused to the copper and the brilliance of the colors is achieved. Several firings may be necessary to complete each piece. Meanwhile, a fellow artisan handcrafts a frame by welding and/or brazing together steel, brass and/or bronze. This frame will be used to both support and arrange the sculpture. The individual pieces are then affixed to the frame and your sculpture is complete.

About the Artist
The history of Bovano of Cheshire began in 1952, when working alone in the basement of his home in Cheshire, Connecticut, artist Jim Bower began experimenting with powdered glass fused to small copper plates. His early works were sold under the name Bower Enamels.

It wasn’t long before Jim partnered with fellow artist John Bonsignor and together they began a passionate pursuit of copper enameling. They moved the studio to the upper floor of an old foundry building in Cheshire and began to develop a wide array of glass-enameled products.

In 1964, David Flood joined the partnership to continue the growth of Bovano of Cheshire. It was at this time that the company made a dramatic change away from the traditional copper enameled plates and trays to the very innovative sculptural designs you see today. In 1987, David’s son, Jim Flood became president.

Bovano of Cheshire is now permanently closed.

For over 50 years and three generations later, the artisans of Bovano continued to use many of the techniques developed from the early days of the company. The old foundry still housed the enameling studios where they combined the modern technology and old world craftsmanship to produce this fine example of American handcraft that is sure to be the heirlooms of tomorrow.