Summer Wrap-Up and Fall Events

It has been a while since we sent out an update, so we have lots to share as you can see in our summer recap below.  Before we get to the summary, though, we wanted to let you know we have several events coming up in the next month or so:

• First, we are blacksmithing at the Virginia Scottish Games over Labor Day weekend. This is a super-fun event that we've always tried to attend as spectators since we have ties to the Clan McPherson -- we love the athletic games, food, and the music! This year, though, we get to demonstrate as colonial blacksmiths. Black Forest ArtWorks (aka McPherson's Forge for this event) will be set up in the living history area. 
• Also on September 22nd, we'll be blacksmithing at the Jefferson Patterson Park Museum, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., St. Leonard, Maryland.
• And, we wouldn't miss Claude Moore's Market Fair on October 20 and 21st from 11-4:30 both days. The Market Fair is always a great, kid-friendly event!

Please come out and visit -- we'd love to see you!

 

 

Don't let this nice photo of a lazy straw hat easily sunning itself fool you! Until we put together this note and saw all the stuff we have been doing, we thought this photo was a nice way to kick off our summer recap.  Instead, maybe we should have used a jet or a speeding thoroughbred, but neither of those would be a natural fit for us and we happen to like the photo, so we will leave it in. 

 

We hope you like the photo Caitlin took also because it does capture how we think we live, so please read on because it's been quite a summer for the Black Forest ArtWorks team.

 

While neither of us got all the items on our individual creative "to-do" lists anywhere near done (how exactly did I expect to write a cookbook when the kids were home from school?!), we did have a great time along the way. 

Jeff has been blessed by some amazing blacksmithing opportunities this summer.  He spent the better part of a week with artist and friend Nol Putnam in Penland and then enjoyed a great week at the action-packed ABANA conference in Rapid City, South Dakota.

 

We also blacksmithed our way through some amazing events at Old Wye Colonial Fair, Nanticoke River Jamboree and Claude Moore's Market Fair in May and July, as well as some smaller demonstrations for 4-H and other groups.  The whole family had a wonderful time, meeting some incredible folks and educating people on the art and mystery of blacksmithing.  
 

Jeff also got a chance to climb a 40-foot wall (something he didn't expect to do this summer, nor was it really on his wish list!) and fell in love with the art of basket-making.   He also got to hear some great bluegrass music in the Shenandoah Valley (Jeff is in the front row, wearing his signature hat) and now wants to start demo'ing at bluegrass festivals--we'll see if that happens!

 

  
While Caitlin might not have been able to sit at the computer for the hours necessary to write her cookbook, she did manage to try her hand at icon-writing thanks to some very good teachers who were more than willing to help out (thank you, Jen and Lynda!).

She also taught about a hundred kids how to card wool at a Farm Skill's workshop.  That was a fun challenge -- she's just grateful she didn't have the spinning station! She will need to practice with the drop spindle a bit more for that!

 

  

Also, we had a good summer in the garden and have put up plenty of pesto, tomato sauce and even tried a version of curry ketchup.  We also made our own mozzarella cheese as well as a Happy Birthday peach pie (or two)... and just the other day found a recipe for homemade ginger ale that I'd love to try before school starts. 

 

 

We are nowhere ready for the summer to be over, but we have lots of exciting plans for fall so please keep checking back on our blog for regular updates.

Our Summer Vacation: Climbing, Hiking and Art, Too!

We spent a week at Kanuga, an Episcopal retreat center in North Carolina that offers summer guest periods.  The kids got to go to camp and also enjoyed crafts, swimming, boating....and lots of other activities.   The kids didn't get all the fun, though.

 Kanuga also offers programs for adults, so Jeff tried out all sorts of new things.  He almost get to the top of a climbing wall, wearing his ABANA tee-shirt, no less!  It's rather funny how many conversations the ABANA tee-shirt spurs...even on a climbing wall!

In addition, he discovered a love of creating baskets, thanks to local artist Joe Bruneau.  I made some baskets myself (I generally showed up to weave after Jeff created the structure out of various vines) but I spent most of my time hiking.  

We had lots of fun and now are ready for the next adventure..... It looks like we'll be demo'ing at the Virginia Scottish Games over Labor Day Weekend.  Details are still being sorted out, but we'll keep you posted!

Our Summer Vacation: History on the Way There

It took us a couple of days to reach our vacation destination, partly because it was 9 or so hours away, and partly because we stopped at two historical museums and various state parks on the way.   At the Frontier Culture Museum, we were happy to run into a blacksmith that we had previously gotten to know at Colonial Williamsburg. We were walking into the Irish forge and the head blacksmith was leaving for lunch.  Jeff said, "Chris???"   The blacksmithing world is small, indeed!

And, then, at the Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia, we were excited to continue the learning that we had started at the Frontier Culture Museum....and we were especially happy to see the same type of rivet forge that we use for our travelling displays. It was a great reinforcement that our historical statements are correct for that type of forge and blower! 

More Photos from the Nanticoke River Jamboree

These photos are from the demo we did near Cambridge, Maryland, at the Nanticoke River Jamboree in support of the Restore Handsell effort.   These photos are from the Facebook page for the event.  It was a great day, albeit quite hot!

Out of My Comfort Zone with the Angel Gabriel

I rather think it's good to be trying something new.  Good....but not necessarily comfortable.  I'm not a painter, by any means, yet I'm taking an icon-writing class at church on Sundays.  This year, we had a choice as to which icon we'd paint -- the Angel Michael or the Angel Gabriel.  I chose Gabriel.

As I watch people who have more experience with the paintbrush, I've seen just how NOT comfortable I am.  I don't know how to "shadow" or even use the brush in a way that really works.

But, it's good to try something new.  As my yoga teacher says, "Fear the familiar".   He laughs after he says that sentence, but it's a true statement.  The familiar is good, but we also need to branch out and experience new things.  I'm learning a lot, if only about how I'm not so comfortable with a paintbrush and how grateful I am for teachers who can correct errors, after I "lost" the Angel Gabriel's ear and part of his mouth in the class session after I snapped this photo.  It also helps to have a sense of humor when trying out new creative endeavors!

Plus, the art of icon writing is fascinating.  And, the 3 hours I'm spending in class on Sundays are totally the most peaceful time of my week.

This photo was taken mid-class.  By next week, the Angel Gabriel should be nearing completion.

Tools of the Trade: Portable Rivet Forge with Side Extensions

Recently I noticed I was having a very difficult time keeping my fire lit during demos and I came to the conclusion that my coal was not deep enough to sustain a nice fire.  One time I was using some coal with smaller pieces and it seemed to require cranking all the time to keep the fire going, so I needed to find some kind of solution.

The type of portable rivet forge is typically use for public demos does not have a deep fire pot like some forges do.  Instead, it has a simple flat grate (think floor shower drain) across the tuyere opening, so the depth of the fire is limited to the 3 inches or so of the coal basin itself, which is not sufficient to keep a good fire going.

To address this, I made some modifications to my forge to bring the sides up a bit.  On the forge I leave at Claude Moore, my friend and collaborator extraordinaire Erin and I bent a hoop and we welded some 3/8" pins on the inside to keep it from moving around.  It is not permanently fixed to the fire pot, but we bent the pins so it rests rather firmly in place and does not move sideways much at all.  

In fact, as you can see in the photos, it is sturdy enough to hang my tools from so I am quite pleased with how it worked out.  It has amazed me how much better my fire burns now and how much easier it is to start now that the forge has been modified.  You can see in the photos that I have quite a nice fire going even while I am at the anvil and only a few cranks are required when I return to the fire to get it back to maximum heat.  

On the forge I use at other venues (pictured below), which is very similar to the one above, but with a different blower configuration, I took an even more simple route.  For that one, I used two pieces of sheet steel about 6 inches high and 24 inches long and bent them to the rough curve of the inside lip of the forge.

This approach has an added advantage for my traveling setup in that I can easily disassemble the two pieces and pack them away nicely in the coal buckets I use.  Had I used the ring method, I would have had to stow the hoop somewhere, which would have been a bit more cumbersome in our already crowded demo truck.

Stratford Hall Scouting Trip

This past weekend, we combined a fun trip for the kids with a visit to Stratford Hall, the home of the Lee family and the birthplace of Robert E. Lee.  Granted, our sons hadn't quite asked for the road trip to a historic home.  Instead they only wanted was a beach without any jellyfish, but we found something for everyone at Stratford Hall.  In addition to the home and a beautiful Visitor's Center and Museum, Stratford Hall has a small beach on the Potomac River that is a good place to find shark's teeth fossils and, most importantly, it didn't have any jellyfish.

Caitlin and I wanted to see Stratford Hall for its history, and also scout it out since it is the proposed site for a blacksmithing event we are planning in May.  We only do blacksmithing events that are very family-friendly, so it helps to check out events ahead of time and make sure they'll work for all of us.  This one should be great because it is an incredible location and the grounds are amazing.  We had a great time meeting the folks at Stratford Hall and we have targeted a spot to setup our demo under the trees on the front lawn, which will be great to be in the shade to teach people about the importance of blacksmithing to colonial society.  The view from our setup will be just about the same as what you see above.

Not only did we meet the people for the blacksmithing event, but it turned out that Jeff's boss at Mount Vernon was also at Stratford that morning to operate their water mill and interpret for a group of educators.   The world of colonial trades is rather small!  Caitlin and the boys got to meet him, and to learn about how the mill works, and even take home some cornmeal.  We are all looking forward to tasting the creations that emerge from that!

We have some exciting plans for the event in May, so please keep checking back here for more information as the planning evolves.

Demo at Claude Moore's July Market Fair

Jeff arrived home around midnight from the ABANA conference on Friday and we were up bright and early Saturday morning for the July Market Fair at Claude Moore Colonial Farm.  It's a regular event that we demo at three times a year, and it's always a pleasure....even when we headed off down the road and realized that it was raining and that we'd been so busy we hadn't had time to even unpack the tent that had arrived earlier in the week. 

So, Market Fair weekend started off wet and chilly and rather on the quiet side.  However, we did have a fire -- that's one of the perks of being a blacksmith.  And, hot coffee to start off the day! And, since it was a bit slow at times during the fair, we were able to let the children forge a little, which made them super happy.   There's always a bright side, isn't there? 

Sunday's weather was much improved and the fair was busier.   Jeff focused on colonial nails as his demo piece this past weekend because it's a good way to tell colonial history & show folks a finished piece within a few minutes.  He also made a child-sized backscratcher for our youngest son, which was rather cute (and entertaining as various kids enjoyed trying it out). 

 

We saw some old friends and made new ones -- we love to get out and show the art of blacksmithing, teach some history, and most importantly, connect with a lot of wonderful people.  Thanks for another great event!

A Fitting Close to a Great Conference

The last day of this year's ABANA Conference was full of the conflicting emotions being together with old friends, and getting ready to leave those same friends, will bring to the surface.  Some sadness, much more happiness as the past four days are reviewed.

Following a great dinner which included buffalo and a spread of desserts aimed directly at the waist (few cared as they filled their plates) and just before the auction a passing thunderstorm left a glowing rainbow arching across the fairgrounds.  It was a fitting end to the gathering and a promise of more good things to come.

Rob Fertner signed his winning poster entry, which later was a highlight of early auction action.

The Patient Order of Meticulous Metalsmiths finished their Skandanavian door.

Jim Garrison picked the first winning ticket in the Iron-In-The-Hat drawing.  All three winners not being in attendance, President Peyton Anderson called them in Texas, Pennsylvania and Rapid City respectively.  

Arrangements for delivery were quickly made.

Four full days of massive collective effort produced the beautiful sculpture which Claudio Bottero designed and directed.  It was the center of attention in the dinning hall.

Look for more details on this incredible conference in the upcoming issues of the ABANA Magazine, the Anvil's Ring.

The Fun Continues in Rapid City

Lee Gunderson, from Buffalo, Wyoming, summed up the value of the teaching tent when he said, "You can watch all you want, it's getting hands-on experience that teaches best."  He was taking a class from Mark Aspery in chisel making .  

Earlier in the day Gerald Boggs had his class turning out workable wizard head bottle openers.

Another bloom was cooking Friday at the iron smelting demonstration.  Lee Sauder had made a sculpture from the first bloom.

Claudio Bottero's team is in the final stages of forging his giant sculpture.  Ribs were being fitted this afternoon.

Rod Lange pointed out the titanium nail on the nail tree while he helped pound in son Scott's large and fancy nail.  The tree is near the fine arts center, which houses this convention's gallery.

It was another great day in Rapid City!