Embossing the Day Away with Wendy Southin

Arranging different textures together with metal embossing is so much like collaging. One can arrange and affix them onto a canvas or a small wooden frame with heavy double-sided tape.

Recently when my good friend artist Wendy Southin asked me to assist her with a metal embossing workshop for teens, I jumped at the opportunity! I was happy to have the chance to work with younger students again, plus I love metal embossing – it’s a great sister art of collage*.

The workshop was held at a local west-end visual arts centre. That morning Wendy and I found ourselves surrounded by over a hundred high school students from all over the city interested in art. We rounded up our enthusiastic group of 13 (half boys and half girls) who’d chosen to spend the day embossing with us. At first, we were surprised by the number of boys taking the class; we sure hoped they wouldn’t be put off by some of the more girly-style embossing plates we used.  Much to our relief, this didn’t deter them at all. Boys and girls transformed conventional plate designs into their own unique compositional ideas. Three or four students integrated their own drawings into the intricate ones of the plastic and metal moulds/plates. We were thrilled to see a reptile’s bony fingers emerging from the black space of a student’s metal canvas; while a scene from “Alice in Wonderland” arose in another’s; a third one painstakingly embossed the lyrics of a favourite Beatles’ tune into her piece! (See Wendy’s Blog for a sample of these!) It was wonderful seeing what the student’s imaginations unleashed. They all came up with incredible designs!  Metal embossing requires much patience and skill; we were equally impressed by the student’s dedication to the task of designing and finishing their pieces by the end of class. I overheard some students revealing to visiting teachers and friends that although embossing appeared easy, it was a lot harder than it looked! I was glad to see they appreciated the fine skill involved in this centuries-old craft. 

Wendy Southin (front) giving a teacher an embossing demonstration.

Many high school art teachers visited the workshop as well.  They were over-awed by the imaginative potential of embossing with tin.  They were also dazzled by the beautiful display of embossed samples and plates Wendy had laid out on her demo table; like sparkling jewels, her hand-embossed designs transformed the canvasses, mirrors and books they covered.  By their excitement and interest I’m hoping Wendy will secure a number of workshops at schools in the near future.  She’s one of the few instructors I know who can teach something so intricate in a fun and practical way (she’s so organized too!); and why not? She’s spent years perfecting the fine art of metal embossing!  As I basked in the glory of all the amazing creative energy surrounding me that day (it’s great having someone else lead a class so you can really take things in!), Wendy, petite pixie, quiet, contemplative soul and cool as a cucumber chick that she is wondered if she’d done enough.  Can you believe it?!  Hello, Wendy, YES, you sure did!  It was a super workshop I’d highly recommend to anyone.  I was so fired up by it, the next day I was on the Ten Seconds Studio website, dreaming of all the new plates and coloured tins I would purchase with my next paycheck!