[TheForge] Re: Test mail

[Stephen Viola]

Hi Mike,
Well I live on the south west coast of Finland in a small city called
Turku. Actually we had the tall ships race here not so long ago..
(reference to your e-mail address).
I've been working as a sculptor here in Finland since I left
University in 1992. Back then my main material was bronze but using
the 'last wax' method of casting. I tried my hand at forging metal but
the studio space really wasn't set up for it. Trying to shape 10 mm
sheet iron with a small oxy torch was to say the least... difficult.
I've had my own business here in Finland for the past 8 years so my
creative 'hands on' side had been at best, part time. Holding the
occassional exhibition etc..
After a recent return trip to Australia I found that my life in
Finland was not what I had planned. An artist running his own company
with 27 employees was so far away from where I wanted to be. So be it
guilt, the need for a change or whatever.. I sold off the company and
returned to my creative side. I then found this fantastic Metal
Artisan course with it's main focus of being blacksmithing. (silver
and gold smithing are also a part of the course). Anyway I have
totally thrown myself into the blacksmithing arena and am absorbing as
much information as I possibly can. Even though I consider myself a
blacksmith newbie, due to my extensive handling of metal etc.. I find
that my use of the hammer and anvil are actually of quite good
standard. I have built my own forge table and required tools, but for
the time being, I am reliant on the institutes facilities. I'm not in
the possition to set up a massive compressed air hammer and 250 kg
anvil.(not to mention all the other brilliant tools and machines)
My main source of information comes from the internet, but a fantastic
book that I stumbled upon, The Art of Blacksmithing by Alex W. Bealer
has inspired me to work as tradtionally as possible. as I wrote to
Frosty, I have already a steady flow of customers and presently
working on restoring an 1842 chest (lock and all) I have no idea what
a 150+ year old lock looks like on the inside, but I will also have to
forge a new key for it. I as yet do not really know what direction I
will take, but more than likely I would work as a traditional
blacksmith, restoring antiques, work bigger projects like railing and
gates, but on the side, tap into my sculptor side and do some Artist
Blacksmithing. I am dead keen to make this my new profession, with my
marketing and business experience I should be ok.
My main focus is to create ancient Scaninavian / Celtic tools for
modern day use. (tripods and roasting spits for campfires, fire dogs,
andirons and cranes for indoor use.. that type of thing) The Finns
have a massive outdoor culture depite that it can get to minus 40
degrees Celcius.

That's pretty much it in a big nutshell. I can tell you more when I
find out more :o)

If and when I have interesting projects on the go I will post
photographs online and email the link here.

Stephen

On 10/28/05, Mike Spencer <mspencer at tallships.ca> wrote:
>
> > Anyway I am Stephen Viola, an Australian sculptor living and working
> > in Finland.
>
> Welcome.  Tell us a bit about what you're doing in Finland.  From a
> North American perspective, Finland is even more remote and mysterious
> than, well, say, than Australia.  8-)
>
> - Mike
>
> --
> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>                                                            /V\
> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
>
> --
>
>
>
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