September 2025 Grand Master Lee Griffiths will be sharing his talents at the GRS Training Center. Hand engraving is both an art and a science, requiring mastery of technique, an understanding of light and shadow, and the ability to tell compelling visual stories. In this Q&A, Griffiths shares his philosophy on teaching, the creative process, and the evolving future of engraving. Whether you’re an aspiring artisan or a seasoned professional, his insights offer a wealth of knowledge to deepen your appreciation and understanding of this timeless art form.
Q: How did you develop the project for your course?
A: I thought about what hadn’t been done in the past, and what might be kind of new. A big emphasis of this grand master’s program is going to be 3D shading, but to get there I’m going to spend quite a bit of time talking about light and shadow of the areas and why and all of those different things. It will be more than just casting shadows but will show how light and shadow can create movement within the piece.
Q: What are you most excited about as an instructor?
A: Seeing the light go on in their minds when they actually get it; when there’s a new concept that they’ve never been introduced to and that light just goes on. And then I can just see in their eyes they’re starting to understand and catch it. And then I eventually see it come out on paper or on the plate to be engraved or whatever. I like to see people progress and learn. That’s what’s fun for me.
Q: What do you want students to take away from your course?
A: The whole 2 weeks is about information transfer. What’s really, really important is that they understand what I’m trying to teach them. When they go home, they will have quality practice time. I’m not going to sit there and look at the quality of their work or how much they completed. That’s very much secondary. The primary thing is are you understanding what I’m teaching you
Q: Where do you go for inspiration? Are there particular artists that inspire you?
A: I really like the work of Elaine or Elon Lovinberg. I like Martin strolls. There are a lot of European engravers. And there are little parts and pieces of quite a few of them that I study and I enjoy and that really connect with me. Phil Cogan. Ken Hunt has been a real inspiration for me in the past. Winston Churchill as well. I will study all kinds of things and see if there’s something in there that I can pull out. One little thing that I can pull out and put in my own engraving. I’ll go and look at people like Rembrandt, who were really good with light and shadow, and see how they created drama. How do they bring out the emotion and how can I do that in my engraving.
Q: When creating a new piece of work, what process do you go through (sketches, research, etc.(?
A: First of all, I’m going to look at the piece. Then I’m going to have a discussion, sometimes a long discussion with the owner or the person commissioning the piece. In the end I want to make sure they’re happy. Quite a few of them will give me a lot of artistic license. If I have artistic license, I’m going to be looking at that at the piece. What was it used for? Does this lead me to a certain theme? What time period was it from? I will then try to plan out how I can incorporate some of those ideas into the art.
Q: How did you first become interested in Engraving/Jewelry/StoneSetting?
A: I knew nothing about engraving until a couple of neighbors came down 1 cold winter day. They were starting to make some knives and they said they needed them embellished. I’d never seen an engraved gun or knife. It piqued my interest enough that I started nosing around and found a Navajo Indian about 25 miles away who did traditional engraving with the hammer and bruin. I found somebody that knew him or that knew of him. I got his number and called him up as soon as I could. On occasion in the evenings in the winter, when I wasn’t farming so heavily, I would go in maybe once every two weeks and just sit there and watch him.
Q: Out of everything you have worked on, do you have a favorite project? What is your most memorable project? Why are these your favorite/most memorable?
A: My favorite project was not the most expensive or the fanciest or anything like that; it was a 22 caliber Winchester from the mid-1900s. The gun was the client’s father, who had been passed on. I asked him about the gun and his father. I saw that I could divide the space into 4 panels and knew that I could depict a story on each panel. So, I worked with the client to come up with the stories that I could put on the gun. What really made this my favorite project is that I knew what it meant to this guy. This means more to him than some really, fancy project that I do that goes into somebody’s 200 gun collection. Do they appreciate it? Yes. But will they appreciate it as much as this guy did this one piece? Never.
Q: If you could pass one bit of advice on to other artists, what would it be?
A: Persistence You need to be pleased with what you do. But never satisfied. If you’re not pleased with it, you’re never going to be happy or find the joy that you need to in the journey. Be pleased, but never satisfied. The next one’s going to be slightly better.
Q: Where do you see the future of hand engraving?
A: Where the future goes is dependent on the building of the future client base right now. Younger generations are not as interested in engraved guns so who is going to be the client of the future? This generation of engravers needs to find out and target whoever is going to be the client of the future.
Lee Griffiths exemplifies the highest standards of craftsmanship and mentorship in the world of hand engraving. He is committed to teaching foundational principles, fostering creative growth, and inspiring artisans to elevate their craft as the head of the Engraving Arts program at Emporia State University and instructor at the GRS Training Center. With his mastery of light and shadow paired with his constant persistence, Griffiths sets a standard for excellence that resonates across generations. His approach reminds us that engraving is not merely about technical precision—it is about leaving a lasting legacy through thoughtful, meaningful work. Don’t pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join Lee this September and apply to the Grand Master’s Program.To help your application check out Photograph Your Work: Simple Techniques for Professional Results in order to send in the best photos of your work.