I grew up in the Vermont countryside on a small sheep farm with a hands on, practical New Englander mindset and a fond attraction to creating things… one thing led to another.
Exposed to blacksmithing through an exploratory “Artward Bound” program at Holderness School in 1988, I fell in love with the forging process; heating up mild steel to 1800-2200 degrees F to a point where it can be manipulated and shaped with various tools, the primary being a hammer and anvil. When the piece cools, it returns to its original state with the hardness and rigidity of steel, while freezing any hammer marks, bends, tapers, upsets or joinery in place. Here is where the magic really happens.
I continued to work with the blacksmith program at Holderness School through the teachings of David Little and I graduated Holderness School with a Cum Laude Society membership as well as recognition in Advanced Placement music theory. I spent the summer of 1991 working for David Little at Winnipesaukee Forge in Meredith Neck, NH. David taught me many secrets of the Blacksmiths Trade, and a way to express myself through physical exertion, fire and steel.
I went on to the University of Vermont and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree. My focus was Studio Art with a minor in Economics. I studied fine metals under Laurie Peters, and sculpture under Barbara Zucker as well as art history and philosophy. I was also fortunate enough to incorporate my passion for blacksmithing and sculpture through an independent study program. Mike Harrigan, a local Burlington, Vermont blacksmith was kind enough to let me use his shop as I continued to learn more about the trade and the many interpretations and styles that were used by modern smiths today.
After University, I moved out west to Lake Tahoe to live in the mountains and pursue backcountry skiing and other outdoor recreational passions. I fell into the outdoor business and spend many years servicing premium brands and retailers in the outdoor industry as a sales person, manager and eventually a general manager of a licensed footwear business. My learning’s in business, over the past 20 years, have taught me the finer points in planning, communication, project management, building a strong team and collaboration skills. I have been able to create success in building a business, managing many great teams as well as creating beautiful products that have won industry awards! I now have the opportunity to take what I have learned and apply those skills to my artistic interests, which I am very excited to further explore!
I always made sure I kept some sort of make shift workshop at home, while I was engaged with the outdoor industry. In the earlier years this consisted of a hammer, anvil, forge, and a few tongs that I had moved out with from Vermont. Fortunately, one of the skills that blacksmiths possesses, is the mastery of building their own tools or jigs to do specific jobs. After 25 years of building up the tools and capabilities in my shop, I am now ready to dive in!
My other passions are being in the mountains enjoying the peace and harmony of nature. I love all kinds of mountain sports like, backcountry skiing, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, fly fishing, and scrambling through the wilderness. I do enjoy an occasional water experience with a little sand between the toes like Scuba Diving, Surfing, Snorkeling, SUP and like to travel. I also enjoy playing guitar, and creating music.
Please enjoy these products, sculptures, and stories. I look forward to working together in the future!
Jamie