Mon, May 11, Mirka Hokkanen to demonstrate the wood engraving at OAA May meeting at The beachKraft Gallery, 18200 Georgia Ave, 2nd Floor, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

Wood engraving was a technique invented to illustrate books and newspapers in the late 1700's. It was used until the late 1800's when photo engraving began to replace it at which point wood engraving was embraced by artists for more artistic expressions. A wood engraving is created on end grained wood, or other hard materials available for artists today, with burins and most often printed on a letter press. 

Wood engraving is a great technique to consider for artists working from home. The blocks are small, and don't require a lot of space to work or print on. Printing can be accomplished with a simple tool like a wooden spoon or a door knob at home.

Mirka Hokkanen has been a printmaker for almost 3 decades with 15 years experience in making wood engravings. Her nature centric art can be seen at multiple galleries around the world, including the BeachKraft gallery, and she is teaching classes in printmaking at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Frederic Book Arts Center and at The BeachKraft. She is on the Board of the Wood Engravers Network, a national organization dedicated to promoting the art of wood engraving, sharing information, techniques and sources of supplies.

Mirka is a native of Finland, but she moved to Illinois to go to college as an international student. She completed her MFA at the University of Dallas in TX, and currently lives in Olney with her family. To find more about Mirka, visit her website at http://www.mirkah.com.