PAST VIRTUAL EVENTS:
July 25 2021: WOOD ENGRAVING “HOOK” WITH WILLIAM MYERS: A discussion about how wood engravers got “hooked” on wood engraving – a casual conversation moderated by Bill Myers. What was the first wood engraving you saw that led you to say, “I need to learn how to do that”? Or was it a teacher who introduced you to a medium you’d never thought of getting into? And now, what keeps you picking up the tools?
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/v0WlW4HwZOk
June 27, 2021: THE PHYSICS OF PRINTING WITH R.P. HALE: Hale will present a participatory session on some of the physics involved in printmaking, how the most basic knowledge of some of the principles is a big help in troubleshooting, explore pigments and ink, body posture when engraving, burin holding and such; and answer questions from participants during the presentation. Fear not: this session will be entirely in Plain English, with illustrations, so you won’t need a math background to get in on this.
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/3_b7Mvu5gqQ
May 23, 2021: PRINTING USING A PRESS: Many engravers among us admit to printing their blocks without the aid of a printing press (!?!). For those considering acquiring a press of their own, WEN President, Jon Hinkel will give a presentation of various kinds of presses that can be used for printing wood engravings, mentioning pros and cons of each.
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/K2pSO3mLOxg
April 25, 2021: SHOW ME YOUR WORK SPACE: Rebecca Gilbert will present, “Show Me Your Work Space”. One of the best things about WEN is learning and drawing inspiration from one another’s experiences and methods. This is an opportunity for members to share images of their carving bench, their favorite lamp, their favorite tools, or how they decorate their workspace. Images will be presented as a slideshow and artists will have a chance to offer commentary and answer questions in real time. Think of it like an informal show-and-tell with conversation. Consider this a call for participation. Do you have something cool to share? What is it like where you work on blocks?
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/iL6dQNiWg6k
March 21, 2021: WOOD ENGRAVING DISASTERS: Join Joanne Price for a short virtual presentation followed by a Q&A style discussion hosted by the Wood Engravers Network. “Craa-ack! As artists we don’t talk often about the mistakes, accidents, or failures that lead us to a final composition, color choice, or resolution. Or how those accidents sometimes have nothing to do with aesthetics, rather they were hard lessons about materials, physics, chemistry, patience, and/or common sense. So, I’m going to share my most embarrassing ones with hopes that we can have a great discussion, learn from others’ mistakes, and swap disaster stories!” Both WEN members and non-members are welcome to join the conversation – bring your disaster stories and your questions for our first virtual Open House event!
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/PCPx51ni1E4
February 28, 2021: Mirka Hokkanen will give a presentation regarding different engraving surfaces that she’s tried her hand on (including boxwood, ash, Resingrave, solid surface blocks, maple, HIPS and juniper). She will discuss the pros and cons of each one, and why she has chosen different materials for specific projects in the past.