James Price, Sussex based Blacksmith & Designer

  I will be exhibiting at both the South of England show ( June 5/7) and the Edenbridge and Oxted show (Aug 28/29) as well as an exhibition at the Weald and Downland museum as part of the British Artist Blacksmiths Association’s  (BABA) AGM; this exhibition runs from the 24 July - 3 August. 

                                                                                     I shall also be exhibiting  at  several Sussex Guild shows throughout the year.

• Ludlay - 7/8 June
•  Arundel Castle -28/29 June 
• Pashley Manor- 30/31 August
• Ditchling- 15/16 November
• and finally Midhust - 6/7 December  

In the forge I am currently working on a mammoth gazebo that has become far more involved than planned, large three dimensional projects always present more technical challenges than gates etc. when finally finished it should look great. Lots of interesting commissions in the pipeline, a lovely contemporary gate and railings amongst others.

I spent the day on site in Brighton fitting the art nouveau balcony. This turned out to be a fairly ambitious feat for one pair of Blacksmiths hands and involved a particularly perilous moment suspended over a drop clutching a balcony trying to get the returns in their holes and not get pulled over the edge, anyway I did it just!

Everything grouted in and I thought the design worked well, nice simple repeat pattern with forged details.

The art nouveau balustrade is finished, looks great and awaits the galvaniser, meanwhile onto the next job. This is a series of scrolls which interlock to form a repeat pattern for a series of step plates. I have spent the last couple of days forging the scroll dogs and drawing out 60+ tapers under the hammer, first couple were great fun but by no. 50 odd I was beginning to wain. This is when furnace and power hammer combo really come into their own.

Yesterday was spent on site fitting a lovely pair of traditional estate style gates. A classic timeless design tennoned and riveted together and hurrah! the client was up for painting them something other than black. I always think it a shame to paint everything black when ironwork can often look much more interesting in other colours. Anyway check out the pictures in the gates section of the gallery .           

I started a new commission today, a lovely Art Nouveau style balustrade, lots of fire welded tulip leaf motifs. I have spent the day sandwiched between a roaring gas furnace and a raging coke forge, Its been a few weeks since I have had a day of solid fire-welding and I am always reminded the magic of it.Left the forge at the end of the day feeling very satisfied and had one of those encounters in the village where I forgot to check what I looked like before I left, only to be greeted by a look of horror, got back in the van and realised I looked like Stig of the dump, it’s all part of it.

Dom has convinced me to blog. Here goes…