Damien Connolly will guide students through an intensive study of sculpted steel engraving and 24K gold inlay techniques. During the course, students will learn the finer points of these difficult techniques and apply them to create a carbon steel and gold inlaid medallion. It is designed as a highly polished, heat or niter blued piece with deep contrasting gold borders and lines, and polished/gray arabesque design elements in progressive relief.

Relief elements will vary along their length from being sculpted above a removed background to being flush with and even slightly below a surrounding surface.

The design features broad borders of flush inlaid 24K gold, wrapped and seemingly overlaid by deep sculpted steel arabesque leaves. A slightly domed and highly polished central space is licked by flush inlaid gold lines and flashes that emanate from sculpted apertures in the highly polished borders and interweave in progressive relief with the arabesque elements.

The steel arabesque leaves angle across the border in high relief, and sometimes undercut relief, exhibiting a sculpting of motion and perspective that when combined with the angle of entry, suggests a point of origin behind, rather than on, the periphery of the medallion.  This motion and apparent torsion of individual elements continues until the lessening relief sees it subsumed into the rising and broadening polished steel background at the design’s center.

• There are large areas of gold to be securely attached. Prevent the punching process from “growing” and loosening already pinned inlay. Making sure that all gold is securely set
• Making and using formed punches to set contoured areas of gold inlay
• Cutting and undercutting for gold inlay in narrow and blind-ended areas
• Planning, cutting, undercutting, and inlaying lines that taper as narrow as 0.005″
• Smoothing and polishing background removed areas, particularly in narrow and blind-ended areas
• Analyzing and planning for levels of background removal and inlay depth for best effect in a complex piece of work
• Being sure to use all the relief height in the sculpting of elements. No sheer sided “islands” with sculpted tops
• Polishing steel alongside gold while not overly eroding flush gold inlay
• Creating and sculpting gold relief on flush gold inlay
• Making, analyzing performance of, and correcting the face forms of sculpting punches
• Sculpting steel relief flush with a polished surface. Transitioning that flush relief to full raised relief above a polished surface
• Creating relief gold inlay on a polished steel surface
• Making scrapers to facilitate leveling and smoothing of chiseled areas
• Making and using hand cut “micro-files” to final finish backgrounds and punch sculpted scroll prior to stoning and subsequent polishing
• Discussion of measures that can be taken to prevent mis-cuts and mistakes that cause divergence from an intensively planned design

After the application deadline, all candidates’ photos will be reviewed and edited to remove any names or identifying marks. Candidates will be assigned a number known only to Glendo management. Photos will be sent to the course instructor who will select twelve (12) students based on the work shown in the photos. Three alternates will also be selected to cover possible cancellations. Applications are kept confidential to ensure selections are unbiased. Instructors do not have access to names until after the selection process. Application deadline is March 31, 2023. Applicants will be notified of acceptance the week of April 17, 2023.

A deposit of $1,375 is due with the application submission. If your application is not accepted or you decline the opening, the deposit will be refunded in the same manner in which payment was received. In the event your application is accepted, the balance of $1,375 is due. After acceptance should you need to cancel, Glendo will make every effort to fill the opening. If we cannot fill your seat, the deposit of $1,375 will be forfeited. If we are able to fill your seat you will be refunded any tuition paid, less an administration fee of $375. We accept credit card, money order, or check.

Please note:

The techniques taught will be universally applicable to hand push, hammer & chisel, and air assisted engraving. Students will be free to choose their preferred method.

Course information subject to change without notice. Example images may not show exact techniques, methods, designs, etc., taught or demonstrated in course.