Artists Blacksmith Information

Any discussion about famous artists, blacksmith or otherwise, is bound to generate controversy. Art is the emotional equivalent of thought where the artist uses his medium to convey not just an image, idea or concept but also a feeling seen from his perspective. A work of art that appeals to one person will seem to be nothing more than junk to another. This is even truer in the case of metal art. Having said this, here are the names of a few famous artist blacksmiths whose work is worth looking at. This is not an exhaustive list and may not contain the names of many well reputed blacksmith artists.

• Joseph Ferris began shaping metal and creating art work at the age of 13. His talent was immediately recognized and he refined this raw talent during his years at Western Michigan University where he studied drawing and industrial design. He has received many awards and wide acclamation for his work and has been commissioned to create both metal sculptures and furniture for art galleries, private collection and corporate environments. His specialty is metal wall art, metal wall clocks and metal wall sculptures.
• LisBeth Graham spent most of her adult life in the world of advertising. But she gave it up and about 15 years ago returned to her first passion, art. She has studied art, fine art and has been a creativity coach for many years. Her preferred mediums are metal, clay and stone and her work includes metal vessels, installations and sculpture.
• Jeff Owen specializes in steel sculpture. His unique work stem from the fact that he never plans in advance. With an idea in his head and a piece of steel to work with, he allows his imagination to take control and shape, cut and weld the metal until what was in his mind becomes a three dimensional work of art. Once he starts a project, she works continuously and exclusively on it until it is finished.
• Travis Tuck began his career as a blacksmith artist in 1974 when he created a weathervane as a prop of the movie jaws. His association with the film world continued and in 1996 Steven Spielberg commissioned a 4 foot high copper sculpture of a dinosaur for his home. In 2002 Travis joined his old friend and collaborator Antony Holland to set up Tuck and Holland Sculptures. Travis passed away in later that same year but the studio he founded carried on with the same type of realistic outdoor metal sculpture that Travis was so famous for.
• Stephen Kishel learned about art from his father who was a high school art teacher. After graduating form from the Ohio Institute of Technology he started working in the plastics industry where he remained for many years but about 5 years ago he gave it all up to concentrate on his metal art work. Stephen creates expressionistic works of metal sculpture by shaping and welding metal. His works ranges from table top pieces to large works for public places and corporate offices.