Although metal engraving has always been the central focus of the GRS Training Center, courses have branched out over the years into wood carving, scrimshaw, and stone setting. This year brings a new facet of using metal as a canvas with a class dedicated to repoussé.

Valentin Yotkov traveled to GRS from his New York studio in May 2008 in order to teach his fine art to seven students from across the U.S. Working on pieces of copper held firmly in place with pitch, students hammered away carefully all week. As can be seen from this "silly" outtake of the class picture session, these students not only had fun learning — they had fun learning together.

Leonarda Jacobs, a student from Wichita, Kansas, said that the class was, "[A] very rewarding experience as a novice. I have been privileged to find an old world art form and actually feel a connection to the difficulty of the process." If you would like to learn more about repoussé and instructor Valentin Yotkov, visit his website www.valentinyotkov.com. For future repoussé classes and availability, stay up to date with www.grstrainingcenter.com.

Class Picture (Left to Right, Top to Bottom): Marilyn Morris, Sharon Jenson, Faye Stevenson, Frederica Anderson, Michael Saldivar. Matthew Gifford, Leonarda Jacobs, Valentin Yotkov (Instructor), Sharon Fosko (Assistant).