
2023
Damien Connelly
Bio
Damien Connolly was a Grand Masters instructor in 2023. His course was an intensive study of sculpted steel engraving and 24K gold inlay techniques. Students learned the finer points of these difficult techniques and applied them to create a carbon steel and gold inlaid medallion. The design featured a highly polished, slightly domed, heat or niter-blued surface with deep contrasting gold borders, and polished/gray arabesque design elements in progressive relief. Broad borders of flush inlaid 24K gold appeared wrapped and overlaid by deeply sculpted steel arabesque leaves.
Damien was interested in art, design, and engineering from a young age but discovered a passion for making muzzle-loading rifles at age 21. He cut every part from raw steel by hand except for purchased barrel blanks. He consumed technical books, studied professional work in books, and occasionally had the opportunity to study others’ work firsthand. Damien began his first engraved commission in 1979. Sole authorship of his projects allowed him to take control of all facets of design, manufacture, finishing, and embellishment. Client relationships exposed him to quality engraving from Italy and the US, and that inspiration drove him to ever more complex designs in his growing career. After 1999, Damien began to focus solely on fine-embellished firearms. A changing clientele allowed him to take a more expansive approach to design and invest more time in each project. His work features a mastery of all aspects of design and execution, including high-relief sculpting, bulino, banknote styles, precious metal inlay, and low-relief foliate scrolls of many styles. He uses these skills to create work that uniquely integrates artistic and functional design elements.