Howard Blatch

Howard Blatch was trained as a Commercial Artist. He liked to draw so much as a child, it seemed a natural career choice. But, after college and two years in the Army, he only worked six weeks for an Ad Agency before leaving that field. He knew quickly that the high pressure, deadline oriented world of Advertising wasn't for him. He first migrated into the related field of piping drafting, then into art, designing packaging, then back into drafting. He now works as a Technical Illustrator at Lexmark, in Lexington, KY.

 In 1976 while working at NASA his designs, screen printed on T-Shirts were requested by many operating divisions. On October 4, 1979, his art was displayed live in the first ever simultaneous television broadcast around the world from space - as all the astronauts were wearing his shirts. It was the first voyage of the space shuttle, Challenger.

his niche. Even though he never stopped drawing  and carving his work always tended to the small and very detailed. It is a perfect match for engraving. Howard is also on staff at The Frazier International History Museum and is learning to play the bagpipes with Kentucky United Pipes and Drums.

After taking two college engraving courses and studying with a well known Engraver/Gunsmith, Howard has come into his own. He has tried air gravers but prefers the traditional Hammer & Graver method, that the 18th Century German Firearms Engravers used.

Engraving he admits is an unforgiving art. A slip of the engraver’s tool is not easily fixed. Every mark shows up in the finished piece.  So slow, steady and patient  are the traits of an engraver. And as Howard Blatch’s work shows, he excels at those traits.

Blatch demonstrating his skills

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