hello again, shop
My blacksmith hero is Dorothy Stiegler. I saw her at the ABANA conference in 2003 give a demo forging bronze flowers. During the demo she mentioned that she didn’t start blacksmithing until after she turned 32 and her kids were grown enough that she could spend time in her shop. I have held onto those words since I heard them, repeating them to myself as I sat trapped under babies for 6 years. Finally, with the addition of our nanny and our completed, fully decked out metal shop, I have found my way again. I have had ideas spinning around in my head like crazy for the past few weeks in anticipation of the holidays being over and the nanny’s schedule getting nailed down. Today I spent a blissful 5 hours working on one of the projects. As usual, I jumped in neck deep. I was inspired by a beautiful Christmas display I saw at the Seattle Center the other night. It was a 20 foot (or so) illuminated tree made entirely of lighted beach ball sized balls. I am making a sort of random mesh out of welding rod. Root system, trunk, branches and foliage, reaching about 5 feet tall. Today I finished the roots and got the beginnings of a trunk started.
Tree #2 root system
Tree #2 root system
I have had so much fun today and been so energized, that I kind of fell like I have been doing something wrong. This is the only thing in my life that I have been instinctively good at; I understand how it works like it is an extension of my own arm. I love it.
xo
H
January 12th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I LOVE YOU H!!! I just caught up on your blog. I think I’m back in the saddle again. My blog is ruthlessly attacked by spam on a daily, if not hourly, basis; that, combined with the move, holidays, house stuff and trying to find my way as a new stay at home type has caused me to shy away from all things bloggy and such. I’m back and just posted last night. I will be posting photos of the girls’ hats as well!
Truly your dedicated reader,
k