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BEAR PATH FORGEJames Joyce, Metalsmith Background |
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Jim got his start blacksmithing at the age of six by turning the crank for his grandpa’s backyard forge in Louisville, Kentucky, growing up in a family of machinists. As he grew older, he made "found-object" welded art from the iron piles and mosaic tile pictures from the scraps generated by his dad’s tile contracting business. By the time Jim returned to California for college, he was a journeyman tile setter and a fairly skilled industrial machinist. Jim helped to support himself through college (economics) by working in an industrial iron shop. |
| In 1991, after careers
as a corporate economist for railroads in Chicago and San Francisco and as a tile
contractor on the Sonoma/Mendocino coast, Jim became serious about artist blacksmithing,
the branch of non-industrial smithing that makes architectural and decorative iron for
homes and business. Since then he has logged 2000+ hours a year in the shop. In addition to a full-time business forging home accessories and architectural metal-work, Jim teaches private blacksmithing classes at his Stewarts Point studio, teaches at the Mendocino Art Center and has been a guest lecturer/demonstrating artist at Santa Rosa Jr. College. He is an active member of the California Blacksmiths Association, having served for several years as its treasurer. He has given seminars to other artist/blacksmith groups and has put on numerous public demonstrations throughout the west. |
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| Current Projects |
Jim Joyce
blacksmith@hughes.net
707-847-3675
PO Box 99, Stewarts Point, CA 95480
