T his week myself and Jonathan Mansfield, Landscape Painter give an insight into their working practices towards a curated show at The Pound Arts Centre, Corsham. Follow the link below! https://theartsinwiltshire.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/guest-blog-an-insight-into-our-working-practices-towards-a-curated-show-at-the-pound-arts-centre-corsham-melissa-cole-sculptor-and-jonathan-mansfield-landscape-painter/

I want to be a blacksmith! How to get started if you have a burning desire to be a blacksmith Modern blacksmiths are fantastic, they are multi-skilled and multi-talented, they often work alone through choice and because it is a hard to generate enough work to run a team and if you are restricted by your workshop space. There is a growing interest in our craft through modern media highlighting specific aspects according to what is fashionable at the moment.   This could be the moment for blade making as promoted by TV shows like Forged In Steel and the likes of Game Of Thrones/Lord Of The Rings.   A new breed of blacksmiths are emerging, some through the great colleges and courses in blacksmithing that we have in Hereford, Warwick and Dorset, some through the need to leave city jobs and make a new life with a new craft skill.   I welcome these blacksmiths with open arms – we need more blacksmiths! The UK has some great blacksmiths but it doesn’t incorporate their ir