Engraving class first in series of Alaska Native art workshops
August 16, 2023

Caroleine James/Wrangell Sentinel
Thomas Gillen Sr. copies a formline design onto a copper plate as he practices his engraving skills. He and eight other class members spent last week learning to use engraving tools to carve pendants, rings and bracelets.
Nine copper-engraving students sketched out designs, squinted through magnifying goggles and slowly etched away at thin sheets of metal using handheld tools.
The students were three-and-a-half hours into an eight-hour day of carving at the Wrangell Cooperative Association's Cultural Center on Saturday, Aug. 12. The class's mood was one of quiet concentration. Students took occasional breaks to stretch their legs or massage their cramping fingers, while instructor Abel Ryan offered advice and words of encouragement.
The copper engraving course, which ran from Aug. 6 to 16, was a collaboratio...
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