ORNAMENTAL IRONWORK

SHOWCASE

 

PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE THE PHOTOS LOAD... I PROMISE IT WILL BE WORTH YOUR TIME!

 

 This sign holder stands some 18 inches high and extends just over 24 inches from the wall. the upper, angles scroll is over-laced with a twisting vine containing 12 leaves and 5 full-bloom roses. If you are in southwest Missouri you can see this piece over the doorway of the Village Cafe, in The Grand Village in Branson, Missouri.

This ornate plant trellis stands 7 feet tall and just under 5 feet wide. It was made by myself and two Russian blacksmiths as a demonstration of traditional forging techniques. The central figure is an old-fashioned blacksmith with upraised hammer in one hand and a long, scrolled piece of iron in the other. He stands behind his anvil, the base of which carries the touchmarks of the three blacksmiths who created the piece, along with the marks of their respective shops. It can be seen standing just outside the door to the Blacksmith Shop, at the Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson, Missouri.

This is the headboard for a King sized bed I made to order for a lady in Mississippi. It stands 6 ft 6 inches high and 84 inches wide. The basic design is based on the old-style "wagon wheel" motif. The upper arc of the "rim" can be seen, with six radiating "spokes" angling upward. The "spokes" are heavily entangled with twisted vines, leaves, and flowers. The headboard and footboard (next picture) together contain 95 feet of vine, 150 leaves, and 24 morning glory flower blossoms. Just beneath the big "boar's tusk" spirals at the top of the headboard there is a single hummingbird visiting one of the flowers.

This is the footboard for the King sized bed described above. The same "wagon wheel" motif was used, although slightly flattened to fit the lower framework. The crossbar on which I am resting my arm is 4 ft 6 inches high. All four end posts are just over 5 feet high, and each is capped with 5 leaves and a morning glory flower blossom.

This is a garden gate, custom-made for a client in Branson, Missouri. The gate was a joint project between myself and Dennis Collins of Custom Ornamental Iron in Forsyth, Missouri. Dennis fashioned the basic framework, we worked together on the hand-riveted diagonal 'crisscross' section at the bottom (definitely a two-man job), and I forged the ornamentation at the top. The gate stands almost 6 feet high and 3 feet wide. Tangled within the oval are 12 feet of vine, 36 leaves, and 3 flower blossom. At the center of the oval it is possible to see the hummingbird flying in to drink from one of the blossoms. Dennis and I have worked on numerous project together, combining my traditional blacksmithing skills with his modern ornamental iron working skills. He is a true craftsman in his own right, and I highly recommend you stop by his shop if you are ever in Forsyth, Missouri. I promise you won't be disappointed.

This is a slightly larger "blow up" of the oval atop the garden gate described above. It is a bit easier to see the details of the vines, the leaves, the blossoms, and the hummingbird. The bird actually has 2 wings... although only one is visible due to the angle of the photograph.