rod
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I have not read all posts recently, and may have missed other comments on the GRS teaching week, Nov 5-9, "Transition to Bright Cutting" when Diane Scalese and Ron Smith joined forces in Emporia, Kansas, to deliver a memorable teaching experience to a full house of some highly experienced "Students".
As I understand it, both Diane and Ron were independently working bright cuts on steel and after looking at each other's approach, felt that they were aiming at a similar target, and so chose to offer this combined class.
I was lucky to get a place in the course, and soon found that my class mates all led very interesting lives, which varied widely from gun makers, engravers of motorcycles (Tira), to Steve... a farrier who shoes horses for royalty and Olympic qualifiers, to silversmith/ranchers whose work may be seen in coffee table books. Is not this cusp of interest in engraving a grand common denominator that allows us all to mingle and share our wide experiences!
There are great artists and artisans out there who do wonderful work. When such people also combine this with an instinctive talent to communicate basic principles, and give us access to a set of 'vocabulary' with which to shoot for our own star, then that is a happy combination to be immersed in, when you join in a class. I am pleased to reinforce what many of you already know, that both Diane and Ron are great people to be around when their job is to teach. Well done, GRS staff, in arranging to have it all happen!
We were divided into two rooms with about a dozen benches in each. The 'teaching' bench was equipped with video camera feeding into two big TV screens, so all had the chance to see small stuff happening on a good sized screen. Half way through the week, the two teachers swapped over. We started with Diane, who drew a bunch of guys, while Ron's class included three great gals! However, Diane being a rancher and used to herding cattle, soon had the measure of us guys and our predictable ways, surfing easily over our banter, and keeping the class focused like a laser on the work at hand. Her easy going style, belied the wonderful skills she had to demonstrate, combined with a great lesson plan, and lots of hand outs to assist when we went home and memory began to blur. Diane first worked with soft and precious metals, then moved to steel. Peeking over the shoulders of my class mates, I could see some stunning work going on, yet Diane started from ground zero, and covered the basics of bright cutting very clearly. I was totally won over by Western Bright Cutting as a true art form, and I stocked up on some wonderful books that had the history of bit and bridle making over the millennium. It is such a great combination of steel work and silver, and has a long and noble history with bronze work going back to circa 2000 BC!
When Ron came over to us mid-week, he focused on bright cutting steel.
Again, Ron's focus was to give us the 'tools' necessary to master, and then make our own way creatively. I very much appreciated his having us analyze and discuss our design ideas, and I could have easily spent another few weeks absorbing what he had to say. When Ron works bright cuts on steel, his finished result is to have the "bright" cuts slightly dulled and the background 'canvas' polished to get that contrast. His class was also well served with hand outs and plenty to take home and think about, always remembering that his two books on scroll design principles are available for us all to refer to. For those who don't already know it, Diane's FEGA video is a bargain and do get yourself her molds while you are at it!
The week passed all too quickly and I regretted not being able to get to know everyone better. GRS took us out to a fine dinner with drinks on the house, and DJ delivered a nice talk on photographing your engravings. Let's face it, when a week like this is happening you want to keep your focus on the work at hand. So come Friday, I was wanting to hang out socially with new friends, but I had to high-tail it to Omaha for my early morning flight home.
I did take time to pull out the guitar, and sing Diane the "Tennessee Stud" (wrong State, but right subject) and she joined in with me on one or two others. Later Ron and I swapped some songs in the Texas style. I agree, it is kinda nuts for a Scotsman to be singing cowboy and blues songs, especially when, like me, you have a thick brogue, but then I was never known for my shyness.
Attention class mates... as a thank you, I forwarded a computer disc to GRS with some high resolution pictures and a short video. As soon as Diane and Ron approve its contents, it will be available to those who took the course.
I would like to hear how others found this teaching week? I want to post more pics but the limit below is six ... sorry about that!
I took a wrong turn at night, heading across Kansas, and tried winging it on small farmer's roads to get back on track. Finally, I got out of the car, and looked up at that huge Prairie sky, ink black, wall to wall, and with the stars bright enough to touch. Like a ship's captain at sea, I found Polaris, Jupiter, Cassiopeia, and navigated by starlight till I got back to my lost highway. You know what they say...just follow the yellow brick road....
yours aye!
Rod
As I understand it, both Diane and Ron were independently working bright cuts on steel and after looking at each other's approach, felt that they were aiming at a similar target, and so chose to offer this combined class.
I was lucky to get a place in the course, and soon found that my class mates all led very interesting lives, which varied widely from gun makers, engravers of motorcycles (Tira), to Steve... a farrier who shoes horses for royalty and Olympic qualifiers, to silversmith/ranchers whose work may be seen in coffee table books. Is not this cusp of interest in engraving a grand common denominator that allows us all to mingle and share our wide experiences!
There are great artists and artisans out there who do wonderful work. When such people also combine this with an instinctive talent to communicate basic principles, and give us access to a set of 'vocabulary' with which to shoot for our own star, then that is a happy combination to be immersed in, when you join in a class. I am pleased to reinforce what many of you already know, that both Diane and Ron are great people to be around when their job is to teach. Well done, GRS staff, in arranging to have it all happen!
We were divided into two rooms with about a dozen benches in each. The 'teaching' bench was equipped with video camera feeding into two big TV screens, so all had the chance to see small stuff happening on a good sized screen. Half way through the week, the two teachers swapped over. We started with Diane, who drew a bunch of guys, while Ron's class included three great gals! However, Diane being a rancher and used to herding cattle, soon had the measure of us guys and our predictable ways, surfing easily over our banter, and keeping the class focused like a laser on the work at hand. Her easy going style, belied the wonderful skills she had to demonstrate, combined with a great lesson plan, and lots of hand outs to assist when we went home and memory began to blur. Diane first worked with soft and precious metals, then moved to steel. Peeking over the shoulders of my class mates, I could see some stunning work going on, yet Diane started from ground zero, and covered the basics of bright cutting very clearly. I was totally won over by Western Bright Cutting as a true art form, and I stocked up on some wonderful books that had the history of bit and bridle making over the millennium. It is such a great combination of steel work and silver, and has a long and noble history with bronze work going back to circa 2000 BC!
When Ron came over to us mid-week, he focused on bright cutting steel.
Again, Ron's focus was to give us the 'tools' necessary to master, and then make our own way creatively. I very much appreciated his having us analyze and discuss our design ideas, and I could have easily spent another few weeks absorbing what he had to say. When Ron works bright cuts on steel, his finished result is to have the "bright" cuts slightly dulled and the background 'canvas' polished to get that contrast. His class was also well served with hand outs and plenty to take home and think about, always remembering that his two books on scroll design principles are available for us all to refer to. For those who don't already know it, Diane's FEGA video is a bargain and do get yourself her molds while you are at it!
The week passed all too quickly and I regretted not being able to get to know everyone better. GRS took us out to a fine dinner with drinks on the house, and DJ delivered a nice talk on photographing your engravings. Let's face it, when a week like this is happening you want to keep your focus on the work at hand. So come Friday, I was wanting to hang out socially with new friends, but I had to high-tail it to Omaha for my early morning flight home.
I did take time to pull out the guitar, and sing Diane the "Tennessee Stud" (wrong State, but right subject) and she joined in with me on one or two others. Later Ron and I swapped some songs in the Texas style. I agree, it is kinda nuts for a Scotsman to be singing cowboy and blues songs, especially when, like me, you have a thick brogue, but then I was never known for my shyness.
Attention class mates... as a thank you, I forwarded a computer disc to GRS with some high resolution pictures and a short video. As soon as Diane and Ron approve its contents, it will be available to those who took the course.
I would like to hear how others found this teaching week? I want to post more pics but the limit below is six ... sorry about that!
I took a wrong turn at night, heading across Kansas, and tried winging it on small farmer's roads to get back on track. Finally, I got out of the car, and looked up at that huge Prairie sky, ink black, wall to wall, and with the stars bright enough to touch. Like a ship's captain at sea, I found Polaris, Jupiter, Cassiopeia, and navigated by starlight till I got back to my lost highway. You know what they say...just follow the yellow brick road....
yours aye!
Rod
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Now it have to convince my husband that yes, in fact, the baroque flute is an engraving tool that I need in my shop..... Do you think I will have any luck? Christmas is coming...
