ABANA Featured Forgings

On view September 1, 2024 – January 1, 2025.

This exhibition focuses on forged work found in or inspired by garden spaces. This online exhibition is a curated showcase of selected works. In addition, some works are appearing in The Anvil’s Ring, Fall 2024 issue. Finally, you can see many more entries received on our social media accounts over the coming weeks and months. Thank you to all the participants in this Featured Forgings Online Exhibition.

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Ode to Spring. “Ode to Spring” resonates with From the Garden through its use of copper flowers and steel vines creeping around the wearer, just as plants wrap around their environment. My process includes traditional blacksmith forging, as well as the inclusion of mig welding and copper fold forming.

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Heart like Knotweed An unwilling participant in anthro-remediation. Tuberous. Invasive. Forged and fabricated steel, cast iron, and cast concrete, 2022.

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Plant Hanger. This plant hanger is formed with over 30 fire welds and is inspired by nature’s lines and creativity.

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Untitled.

Mother Nature’s Pearls. This is a kinetic sculpture. The spiral flowers move in the breeze and the bellflowers ring and sway. Steel, 48 x 26 x 12.

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Foxglove Gates. These gates were designed to sit in gaps in a granite wall that formed the garden wall of an old farmhouse high up on Dartmoor. I wanted the gates to resemble the native plants that grow in the hedgerows and along sunken lanes of the high moor and appear as if they had begun to grow in a gap in the walls. Slightly abstracted foxgloves, ivy, and ferns formed the basis for the gates. Both gates were galvanised and sprayed a slate grey colour to match with the slate roof of the farmhouse.

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Wyatt’s Bookcase. Mild steel, forged/chased/mig welded, about 30 different species, 30″x10″x2. March 2023.

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Garden Hose Holders. My client has American Hop-Hornbeam (ironwood) on his property that grow hops each year and wanted them as a decorative theme. Forged steel.

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Untitled. Originally a welder artist, I have been utilizing blacksmithing for 7 years now to create much more detailed pieces. I love copper and stainless steel. One of my favorite processes is fusing copper into my pieces using the forge to melt the copper into the steel.

Rainbow. A bow made of a coil spring for the bow and stainless steel for the hair that holds an official CocoRaHS rain gauge.

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Fountain. This fountain, featuring a solar-powered pump, was made as the first prize for a local garden club’s Natural Gardens Competition.

Tools of the Garden. My wife is an amazing gardener. I made this hori hori and hand cultivator for her.

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Pine Bough.  15 inches long, pine cone forged 1/8″ strap, cut and wrapped around center; needles brazing rod; branch, forged rod textured using special faced hammer and die; bowl, forged 1/4 inch plate, Gunter brass brush finish.

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Ode to Spring. Ode to Spring was inspired by the anticipation of the spring season. Standing 7’ tall, she has an uplifting presence. Forged from mild steel and love.

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Vines & Flowers. The clients desired a handrail that incorporated living vines, tendrils, flower buds, and full-bloom flowers.

Detail of Vine & Flowers.

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Crane. Three different forced patinas were used.

Untitled. A mixed metal Japanese cherry blossom tree extending its branches over a faithful Akitainu; fastened to a steel circle by rivets. The tree is made of 90 something layers of pattern welded (twisted in some sections) while the leaves and Akitainu are made of copper. The backing plate was flame-tempered to represent the sky and the ground.