| I am undertaking a major, multi-event trip to Ireland and Scotland for the later part of this summer. With air fares, local transportation (car hire), lodgings, meals and materials - this is going to be an expensive undertaking. At this point I am committed to the project, since I have already paid for air and booked lodgings in Ireland. So in aid of this, I have applied to the Canada Council for the Arts, most significantly under The Jean A Chalmers Fund for the Crafts - Project Development and Research. There are two primary and two secondary elements : Caherconnell Furnace Festival, Ireland Turf to Tools 3, Scotland and European Archaeology Assn Conference, Ireland Ratho Byres Forge, Scotland • I have missed the Woodford / Caherconnell event every year since it's inception in 2019. First because of a conflicting project (that was cancelled at the very last minute), following years due to COVID travel restrictions / concerns. • Turf to Tools was started in 2014, continued in 2016, originally at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop. Due to the current situation at SSW, the final stage (object to deposit) will be mounted on Skye, still working with Eden Jolly. • I have submitted a paper / presentation for EAA-13, which due to the raw costs of 5 days in Belfast, will be as a video / ZOOM remote. • Since I will have to fly out of Edinburgh, I want to make a workshop / studio visit to Shona Johnson & Pete Hill, who I have worked with on other projects (notably Ypres 1919-2019) The following is the submitted project description and supporting images : Project Description - Travel from rural Grey County to Toronto - air to Dublin, Ireland, public transport to rural Co. Clare. a) Caherconnell Furnace Festival, (lodgings and meals provided) b) European Archaeology Assn Conference. required lodgings with internet for presentation day, meals - Travel to Dublin, required overnight hotel, air to Edinburgh, car hire to rural Portree on Skye, meals. c) Turf 2 Tools 3 materials, lodgings and meals. - Return to Edinburgh, required lodgings, meals d) Workshop visit to Ratho Byres Forge in Edinburgh - Connecting air - Dublin to Toronto, return to home. Event Descriptions a) Caherconnell A gathering of Irish, UK, and European artisan blacksmiths working with bloomery iron. The direct objective is to share and further develop working skills with self made bloomery iron with other artisans. Includes demonstration / public involvement aspect. b) EAA23 A presentation describing the interface within the ongoing Turf to Tools’ project between traditional skills, contemporary crafts, public demonstration, with archaeological research (confirms March 24). c) Turf to Tools 3, originally conceived as a collaborative project between international artists, writers and archaeologists, ‘from the land - return to the land’, at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop (2014, 2016). This last phase undertakes the creation of a replica historic object from bloomery iron made earlier, then ceremonially depositing it into a peat bog. (Negotiations with local arts organizations ongoing.) d) Ratho Byres Forge is one of the few architectural blacksmith’s shops in Scotland, specializing in public artwork installations. Impact - Personal a) Caherconnell Direct experience with distinctively Irish traditional bloomery iron smelting methods. Introduce Canadian perspective on process, extended to finished objects. I will be the first Canadian to attend this event. b) EAA23 Further enhance the contribution of experienced artisans to archaeological research, particularly via public demonstration of ancient / traditional techniques. I consider myself a bridge between the maker and the researcher related to bloomery iron. c) Turf 2 Tools 3 Completion of this project, where I was the team lead. Continue and further develop the association between Canadian and Scottish artisan metalworkers. d) Ratho Byres I had worked with Shonna Johnson and Pete Hill as part of the build team for their panel for the Ypres 1916-2016 (Belgium) memorial, one of about a dozen Canadians participating. Over the last decade I have increasingly been creating public sculptures, so observation of their working methods and insights will be invaluable. Impact - Canada - Bloomery Iron is a unique material, with properties quite different from modern industrial alloys. I remain only of only three working artisans exploring the possibilities, certainly the one with the longest direct experience. As one of the instigators of the ‘Early Iron’ movement in North America, I was instrumental in re-discovering predictable methods allowing the creation of bloomery iron, techniques which now have become widely used. - All elements increase the international recognition of the work and contribution of Canadian artisan blacksmiths. The three main elements include work before larger public audiences. - I continue to hold workshop sessions from my home studio, transferring hard won knowledge and experience to a new generation of artisan blacksmiths. - I remain one of the very few bloomery iron makers who publishes working guides, ongoing research and general commentaries on their work. This continues via web site and regular blog postings, journal articles, book chapters and formal lectures. - Specifically for this project, I intend to document all elements via a dedicated series of illustrated blog postings. - At the conclusion of Turf to Tools, the formal description started during the earlier elements will be completed, ideally to be submitted as a journal article. Final Note Bloomery Iron Smelting has a place in the early history of Canada (Newfoundland c 1000 / Nova Scotia c 1650’s / Quebec c 1650’s + / Ontario c 1812 +) The earliest large commercial operations almost always started with the use of smaller test furnaces similar to the ones illustrated here. Bloomery iron was the primary metal used through the Settlement period, declining with technical innovations after 1855. Although hand forging techniques continue in use by contemporary artisan blacksmiths, all modern work is undertaken using industrial steel alloys. The question of just how ancient to traditional iron makers created bloomery iron was uncertain at the point I started my own personal research in 2001. There are only three Canadians working consistently with these methods and metal, of which I certainly have the most overall experience. I continue to stress the importance of exploring the methods, and through object, the unique properties of this material, well beyond the principle of ‘sole authorship’. Images The images presented here are grouped to show differing aspects both the creation and artistic expression of bloomery iron. As stress is seen on the public demonstration aspect. 01 - 06 : Illustrating the steps of creating ‘bloom to bar’ 07 - 09 : Past work showing development of textures, use of antique wrought iron 10 - 12 : Work with bloomery iron, emphasizing the unique textures. 13 : Illustrating work with students (and within the USA) 14 : The first iron smelt in Canada, the Norse circa 1000 AD (where my interest began). 15 – 16 : Work at the Turf to Tools project. click on any of the images for a larger view |
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| Turf to Tools Bowl - bloomery iron / about 14 cm (2014) |
I had been told by a friend who had served on a jury for the Ontario Arts Council that the first and last images were especially important to be striking. The first to grab their attention (on reviewing so many applications) and the last because it remained on the screen while they discussed your submission.
This obviously was good advice - as I am two grants out of three past applications at OAC. This is the first time I have attempted a Canada Council / Chalmers submission.
Wish me Luck!
PS: No thanks at all to Blogger / Google for the huge difficulty imposed by their 'simplified' coding system. It took four complete attempts over many hours to end up with the formatting you see here.
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