Budding Artist Blacksmith

Hi all and welcome to my blog pages.

I thought it an intersting idea to talk online about the pros and cons of starting up as an Artist Blacksmith. I graduated from Monash University in 1991 and Melbourne University in 1992 and have worked (off and on) as a sculptor / painter ever since. My problem is not unique for an artist, although being an Australian living in Finland it automatically places me in quite a unique position. Now as most artists will find the balance between income and art is often like walking a tight rope with an anvil on your back... achievable but incredibly difficult. There was a period in my recent history that I turned my back on my passion of art and pursued the corporate life. But like most things when your heart is not in it.. I eventually gave the business up. I have now returned to college and am in the midst of a 3 year metal artisan course. Due to my previous university education I had completed most of this course before I even started. I have decided to use this time (3 years) learning everything I can about blacksmithing.

Now heres the thing.. As I have a little over 18 months of this course left, the comforts of the college forge will soon be a memory. I have started to build up my blacksmithing tools, 100 kg Locomo B Anvil, 1m square forge table, various hammers of different weights and peins, I make my own tongs, jigs and anvil tools (hot hardies, fullers and swages), hot chisels, drifts and an assortment of other tools I have forgotten to mention. The college provides me with enough 'walk in' customers which vary from €25 - €5000 contracts to support a poor student but I would seriously love to pursue this as a fulltime occupation. Again I face the void between student and self sufficient artist.

I do not mind the challenge, I know how to network, run a business and even find clients but setting up an operational forge here in Finland would cost around €50,000. I had a look in my wallet yesterday and I fell short by about €49,950 :o(

There is another obsatcle that I wasn't prepared for. In most developed countries, blacksmithing is at a hobby level at best. In Finland it is in full swing since the reintroduction in the 1960's. Hence the competition is fierce and more than often the Master Blacksmith is more than reluctant to share trade secrets and techniques. There are various paths to follow as a Finnish blacksmith, bladesmithing, industrial work, farrier, middle ages - festival visiting type and then the artist balcksmith. I'm leaning more to the artist blacksmith area as it is closest to my heart.... and I absolutely refuse to move away from my artistic creativity again. I may be sealing my fate as a poor artist, but as long as my wife and kids have food, shelter and love, I can't see what more they could possibly need.

Anyway enough of a grind for now... keep visiting for new updates and watch the progress of a struggling artist blacksmith!

Wombat