“I started blacksmithing when I was fifteen, learning the fundamentals from several established blacksmiths through classes. From the first time I heated a piece of steel and shaped it I was completely enamored with the craft. After getting more experience and plenty of encouragement from other blacksmiths I spent my summer working and saving up to go to swap meets and haggle for my first set of blacksmith tools. I would spend dozens of hours every week practicing the different forging techniques I learned about and eventually started selling small pieces of work at the local farmer’s market.

After a few years of working on my own, I was fortunate enough to become a full-time apprentice, learning the ins and outs of being a professional blacksmith. It was quite a time of trial and tribulations, working as a blacksmith apprentice to learn the trade and how to take on substantially larger art projects while also working part-time jobs to support myself financially. Eventually, I proved I had learned enough and became proficient to the point of being a real asset in the forge and went full-time with my metalworking, doing everything from fabrication to welding, machining and of course blacksmithing.

I use my skills as a blacksmith and metal worker to repurpose and shape both new and reclaimed material into creative custom projects. The challenge of the process of shaping the material and figuring out the different ways to manipulate and alter the glowing steel is a wonderful experience every time I work. An additional aspect I strive to incorporate into my art is a purpose, from the abstract of an individual’s experience to the utilitarian function of handrails, hand tools and gates. I hope to share the excitement I feel in the process through the projects I undertake and the artwork I create.”