Blacksmith
Where does function and beauty meet in your community?
Roberta Elliott started her career as a farrier (forging horse shoes), but quickly found her own voice in the metal.
I use primarily mild steel. There are so many characteristics that it has that no other metal does. My pipe comes from a man west of Springfield—he makes parts for John Deere and other equipment manufacturers around the world… so I get his “drops”—the parts that are too short for him to use.
It is definitely the physicality of it that I enjoy most—it doesn’t matter what I am making, from an “s” hook to something more elaborate. When I’m working on a piece, I have a vision of the fineness I want, the flow of the line… there is a lot of satisfaction in being able to overcome the strength of the metal and give it some lightness.
