During a sabbatical in 1984, Rita Deanin Abbey studied with Professor John Killmaster at Boise State University and began working with porcelain enamel on steel. 

Abbey was attracted to vitreous enamels because of the intensity and fastness of the color, the luminous, reflective hard surface, the possibilities for contrasting impasto with transparent layers, and the malleability and resistance of the metal. She respected and loved the wide range of color and sculptural possibilities in the enameling process. By using painting and spraying applications of porcelain enamel on steel panels or hammered shapes, she fired the surfaces several times, striving to intensify textures, subtleties, and contrasts of color. To enhance the dynamics of space, she often juxtaposes hammered enamels with relief wood carvings or enameled panels.