top of the anvilthe sound of the hammer and anvil. he let me have a go with the hammer and i ruined...
TRANSCRIPT
The July 13th meeting is a little
different and a great opportunity to
learn from a master teacher, Mark
Apery. Many of you have seen him
demonstrate in the past and know of
his love of passing on his
blacksmithing knowledge. Mark will
be demonstrating some basic tool
making and use of those tools. Lonnie
Jensen who is hosting the meeting is
planning on setting up addition anvils
and forges so that the rest of us can
have hands on forging the tools that
Mark is teaching us to make. . Plan on
learning a lot and having a good time.
Lonnie’s address is:
14460 North 3100 West,
Collinston, Ut. 84306
TOP OF THE
ANVIL
President’s Message I hope everyone is doing well and if you’re like me your summer schedule is filling up fast and there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done. With summer among us it’s a great time to get out and do demonstrations for the public and share the art of blacksmithing with others. Like I’ve said in the past you don’t have to be a master blacksmith to do demo’s. If you can start a fire and hammer out a few items you already know more than those coming to watch you work. I’ve learned a lot from do demonstrations and teaching others and it’s enjoyable to share this lost craft with others. We held the May meeting at the Pioneer Village in Provo where they have an old blacksmith shop setup. I started off the meeting talking about forge welding and then demonstrating a few different welds. After I ran my mouth for a bit we fired up a few more forges and others tried their hands at forge welding. Many of those that tried were able to make a faggot weld and from there make a flux spoon using 3/8” round. We had a good turn out and of course lots of fun around the fire. We have some great blacksmiths lined up for the next couple BFC events. Mark Aspery will be our guest for the July meeting and this is one you don’t want to miss. You will learn a great deal from Mark in just one day. Lisa Geersten and Caleb Kullman will be our BFC conference demonstrators. Both Lisa and Caleb and are well accomplished blacksmiths, each with a different style and will have something for everyone. Be sure to put the conference dates on your calendar (13th, 14th and 15th of September)! Keep the fire hot,
Shane Hall
"For my demonstration I intend to build a small scale, art deco style wall hanging sculpture. I will be using traditional techniques including the use of hand chisels to change simple forms into
highly decorative shapes. I will also be speaking about the usefulness of TIG (or MIG) welding combined with traditional hand forging to create artworks with a high level of craftsmanship."
And as for about me....
I am a full time Artist Blacksmith based in Seattle, WA. I received a BFA in sculpture from West Virginia University in 1997, and have been living and working in Washington State ever since.
Past employers have included ornamental architectural companies, high end public art fabrication, and three years working with Master Blacksmith Darryl Nelson. I am currently self
employed full time as well as teaching blacksmithing classes 3 quarters a year at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, WA.
I own and operate Firelight Forge, a business that provides original artistic metalwork to the public. I enjoy the challenge of working with clients to design creative metalwork to fit a specific
space. Clients continue to hire me for my design skills as well as craftsmanship. It is very important to me to create a comfortable and honest relationship with cl ients. Much of my work can
be seen in public places around Washington State.
While working with clients and students can be rewarding, I take time to create my own personal artwork on a regular basis. Often while working on a commission, I am inspired to build new
pieces. I strive to push myself beyond my current skill levels or style boundaries, but I also enjoy the challenge of revisit ing a style previously abandoned.
For me, making art is about making a connection, physically, spiritually or mentally. It’s about telling a story, stepping outside a comfort zone, pushing myself, making the ordinary and
mundane into something meaningful and beautiful. I hope to engage others to experience these moments and trigger something wi thin them that sparks a connection to my work.
Photo credit Michelle Smith-Lewis
"Raven's Wisdom"
Copper repouse' and steel
8" x 8" x 1"
Image attatchment labeled bear install
"Donald"
Forged and fabricated steel
5.5' x 4' x 4'
Image attatchment labeled Put your Heart Into It
"Put Your Heart Into It"
Copper repouse', copper wire, wood
12" x 4" x 2"
Image attatchment labeled SOFA demo piece
"Deco Diamond"
Steel and Aluminum
13" x 13" x 1"
Lisa Geertsen
I was first exposed to blacksmithing while in college. An art student had set up a primitive forging station behind the art building and I stopped in one day after hearing
the sound of the hammer and anvil. He let me have a go with the hammer and I ruined a perfectly good piece of steel – but my interest was sparked. After graduation,
having realized that a BA in anthropology was not particularly marketable, I decided to pursue my interest in blacksmithing and attended horseshoeing school in
Tucumcari, NM. At the time, I really didn’t think that horseshoeing or blacksmithing would be a long term career choice for me but I was curious nonetheless. I enjoyed
learning the craft of farriery and liked working with horses. What I really enjoyed, however, was forging – making horseshoes and other things from steel. After
finishing the four-month-long horseshoeing program, I began apprenticing with a farrier and family friend in Santa Fe, NM, where I had grown up. At his
recommendation, I attended Frank Turley’s basic blacksmithing class in the spring of 1994. As part of the class, Frank routinely took his students out to visit the studio
of Tom Joyce. When I saw Tom’s beautiful work and meticulously organized studio, I knew that I wanted to pursue blacksmithing more seriously. Seeing a long road
ahead, I moved to Fort Collins, CO in the fall of 1994 to begin a horseshoeing practice. Horseshoeing allowed me to earn a living with plenty of free time to practice my
forging technique, take on small commissions, and travel to work with other blacksmiths. I made two or three trips per year to Santa Fe to work with Tom during the
period 1995-2002. I also became a member of the Rocky Mountain Smiths, attended workshops and conferences, and took classes at craft schools such as Peters Valley
Craft Education Center, Penland School of Crafts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.
I decided to go back to school in the late 90’s to pursue a Master’s Degree in anthropology. The need to conduct field research and the desire to combine my
professional career and academic background led me to apply for and receive a Fulbright Scholarship to travel to Nigeria in 2002. I spent eight months there, working
with Yoruba blacksmiths, studying traditional Yoruba forging techniques, religion, and culture. Upon returning to the US, I decided not to continue shoeing horses and
committed to blacksmithing full-time, pursuing commission work from my shop in Fort Collins.
In 2004 my wife Rachel and I were married. We decided to leave the crowds of the Front
Range behind and moved to the Western Slope of Colorado in March of 2006. We settled in Montrose, where I operate my shop in a 2500 sq. ft. building in the
downtown area. I primarily service the Telluride area, but I also work in Santa Fe, Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, and other resort communities.
It appears that over the past several years the market in architectural metals has moved away from forged work toward a more sterile, contemporary style and so I have
been taking on some work that is primarily fabricated, and often involves custom patina finishes. One outlet I have found for doing forge work is in sculpture. I have
recently built a number of forged sculptural bicycle racks for the City of Littleton and the City of Montrose. I am hoping that in time I can convince local designers,
architects and builders that forged work can have a contemporary aesthetic and hopefully the architectural market will present more opportunities for forged work.
I use traditional blacksmithing techniques because they allow me to produce a wide variety of work. I attempt to be true to the traditional methods whi le not being
bound by traditional designs and motifs. The primary source of ornamentation in my work stems from the methods used to join elements together and my designs are
fundamentally tied to the production processes of mortise and tenon joinery, collars, punched holes and rivets.
Caleb Kullman
Photos from the May Meeting in Provo
BONNEVILLE FORGE COUNCIL
President Shane Hall
125 S. 500 E. Salem , Utah 84653 [email protected] 801 400 4990
Vice President Lee Pearson
3991 2nd St
Ogden, UT 80144
Treasurer Lonnie Jensen
14460 N. 3100 W.
Collinston, Utah 84306
435-730-3511 Cell
435-458-3291 Home
Librarian Randy Baird
3417 Oquirlane Rd.
Magna Utah 84044
801-589-7446
Marketing Manager Shiela Baird
3417 Oquirlane Rd.
Magna Utah 84044
801-589-7446
NewsLetter Bob O’Brien 9466 South Angus Dr. South Jordan, Utah 84095 801 910 1393 [email protected]
BONNEVILLE FORGE COUNCIL (BFC) is a not for
profit organization chartered with the State of Utah and is dedicated to promoting and expanding the horizons of architectural, artistic and practical blacksmithing while preserving the rich heritage of this craft. The BFC Officers and members assume no responsibility or liability for injuries or damage caused as a result of the use of any information, materials, design, techniques, etc. contained in this newsletter or through information provided at meetings or demonstrations.
Membership/Address Changes
Membership is available to any individual or organization.
Annual membership dues are $20.
Direct all matters of membership and address changes to
BFC Treasurer Lonnie Jensen, 14460 North 3100 West,
Collinston, Utah 84306.
Newsletter Submissions
Submit articles, pictures and any other materials to Editor
Bob O’Brien, preferably by email, [email protected], or
by mail, 9466 South Angus Drive, South Jordan, Utah
84095. Material may be edited or rejected by the editor.
Material submitted must be your own work, not
plagiarized. By submitting material, you agree to allow
BFC to edit, print or post on the BFC website. You also
give permission for the material to be reprinted on other
blacksmith publications.
Copyright The creator may retain copyright for the work.
If we print copyrighted work, consent of the copyright
holder will be obtained before publication.