I get the real thrill out when I can take that piece of block metal and heat it up and
forge it out in a matter of few minutes or so into some kind of nice form.
As you're working the metal and watching it flow and manipulate it, you just kind of get
that excitement and say, okay, it's going to go this way or I can make it go this way
and take in command of the material and develop into something that is typically just a hard
iron bar.
The power hammer, I'm using it as a way to give me a consistent force down and hammering.
I use various top tools that are radius very similar to my hammer, which does the same thing.
It's called peening or straight peening. That will spread the metal in one direction.
So when I did the leaf, I spread that metal out wide using this peening tool.
Then I used a little sharper, I got all different radiuses, but I used a little sharper one
to create a vein effect in the leaf.
I really do enjoy making things and the challenge of trying to figure out how to make something.
And I think that's part of the spark. I'm also a real tool fanatic. Blacksmithing or
metalsmithing is like really tool involved. I like to make my own tools to make the product,
so I have a feel that I really have control.
I've done all types of work through my years. I've been doing this for over 30 years now.
More recently, I've really gotten into doing organic forms and flowers and leaves and I had
done a project here in the last couple years on a large window grills and a gate that was all floral.
I'll go out and take a leaf and look at it and try to interpret that if I want to make it in the
steel. I kind of like the challenge of trying to do that, interpret the organic nature.
I consider myself both a craftsman and an artist. Doing artwork but also doing craftsmanship on
my work is the best I feel that I can do it. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't forge
anymore. It's really become my life and passion to do this. I just don't, I can't really say
what that might be.
