Engraving in the Wild
Explore the outdoors in this engraving course inspired by nature. Guided nature walks around the Pilchuck campus and exercises in observation will inspire our studio work focused in the coldshop. This course will concentrate on wheel and bur cameo engraving on Bullseye glass with an introduction to basic fusing. We will also experiment with taking engraving into the field, combining direct experience of the landscape with material exploration. Students can expect to leave with a foundation in the techniques covered, and a connection to the natural environment that defines Pilchuck.
April Surgent is a glass engraver whose work focuses on climate change, marine ecology, and the human impact on vulnerable ecosystems. Her practice is grounded in field research, with projects taking her from Antarctica to Alaska and Hawaii. She began engraving in 2003 after a formative course at Pilchuck with Czech master Jiří Harcuba. She has spent the last two decades pushing the boundaries of cameo engraving. Her work is held in major museum collections.
Sarah Gilbert is an artist and maker working primarily in glass for the last 25 years. She is fascinated by the reductive process of carving materials and the many ways imagery and form can affect and influence each other. In her work, she explores using traditional engraving techniques on both blown and fused glass.
