One of the most popular art forms of the past century is stamping. Stamping is the art of pressing designs into sheet metal, thus creating bold relief sculptures. Due to the decline in individual metalworking over the past twenty years, fewer and fewer people know how to stamp metal. But, fortunately, you can learn stamping at the Mount Olive Library on May 27.

Susan Lee, one of the staff demonstrators, will show visitors how to stamp metal artistically. Before you see her presentation, though, there are a few important stamping principles that you should keep in mind.

First, quality of metal matters. Tin and aluminum stamping projects create a different effect than copper projects. The silver color of tin, for example, is cool and icy, whereas the orange of copper is fiery and tempestuous.

Second, safety is very important. Some stamping projects involve manufacturing-level equipment and high pressure, so it is crucial to keep all appendages an vulnerable parts of your body out of harm’s way.

Finally, stamping is an art. You should aim for quality over quantity- a well-designed stamping project is more valuable than twenty poorly designed projects. If you keep these guidelines in mind, you are sure to have a happy and healthy stamping career.