Rob (Tig) Lichty (Studio # 27)
Ornamental Turning and its subset, Guilloche’ Engraving, has been around since the 1520's and 1740's respectively. A secret craft originally used by royalty, it taught Princes from England to Russia about patience, precision, and aesthetics. For me, it is about the feel of the tools; using them to coax and finesse life into a creative piece. My centuries old equipment has been used, abused, left for scrap and then brought back to life and ultimately loved.
Some of my engravings require a precision of .0003” for the design to emerge into a coherent artwork. Others require thousands of fractals to coalesce into a comprehensible piece. I revel in the order of it all but sometimes I like to add chaos; a messiness to the extreme order, by using colored vitreous enamels or patination to impart life and personality.
I welcome all to visit and see this once secretive, later plentiful, but now obscure art of Ornamental Turning and Guilloche’ Engraving.
NOTE: Wheelchair accessible.
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