American Artist Max Karp is one of the few contemporary painters to use enamel for his artistic work. He is internationally acclaimed as the father of modern enameling. His place in art history is assured, both because of his enormous talent and the fact that he has perfected unique processes, which allow the creation of museum-quality, kiln-fired collectibles. A self-taught artist, Karp was born in Ohio in 1916 and raised in California. He lives in Southern California. Karp began painting by recording in his oils various species of birds and insects for his father who was an ornithologist/entomologist. In the mid-1960's, Karp became interested in the enamel process. Beginning on a small scale, he taught himself the enamel technique and later experimented with the large paintings in enamel for which he is best known. During the last decade, Karp's enamel paintings have received critical recognition. In 1970 Hamilton Mint commissioned Karp to produce four paintings of the seasons of the year, which were then issued as a limited edition of plates on precious metal. In 1980 Karp's 20 x 24-inch enamel portrait of Beverly Sills was presented to the American Queen of Opera following her final performance on full-length opera. In addition, numerous private art collectors, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Happy Rockefeller and Sarah Churchill, have acquired works by Max Karp for their collections.