| Welcome to the Wareham Forge, the work of Artisan
Blacksmith Darrell Markewitz of Ontario Canada. Here
traditional hand forged techniques are blended with
original custom designs to create distinctive objects for
garden or architecture. (What is called 'wrought iron
work' by some.) A specialist in the Viking Age, creating
reproductions for Museums and re-enactors. Offering
training courses various aspects of Metalsmithing, plus
instructional DVD's. |
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pull out guide |
Darrell Markewitz is the hand that guides the hammer. He has
been working with forged steel, and producing historic
reproductions, since the late 1970's. Four years at
Ontario College of Art has led to a blending of modern
design concepts with a traditional craft. Five years at
Black Creek Pioneer Village, three as primary
blacksmith, has yielded a deep understanding of historic
styles and techniques from the Settlement era.
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An area of personal interest and study has been the Early Mediaeval period, especially the Viking Age, resulting in work that truly spans the ages. Over the years he has visited most of the major museums and living history sites in Central and Eastern Canada, the Northeastern United Sates, and a number in England, Scotland and Ireland. Since 1993 he has designed and produced the 'Norse Encampment' series of programs, including the living history presentation at the L' Anse aux Meadows NHSC in Newfoundland for Parks Canada. This work has included his involvement as a consultant for the major exhibits 'Vikings - North Atlantic Saga' (Smithsonian) and 'FULL CIRCLE - First Contact' (Newfoundland Museum. A related museum project was the creation of the 1000 square foot exhibit 'World of the Norse' for the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Since 2001, a special area of research has been experimental archaeology of bloomery iron smelting. View Darrell's CV as prepared for ongoing grant applications (bias towards Experimental Iron Smelting). " There is nothing in the world that
some man cannot make a little worse and sell a
little cheaper,
and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey. " ATTRIBUTION: John Ruskin (1819 - 1900) The Wareham Forge is located in rural Ontario, half way between Orangeville and Owen Sound (near Flesherton). It combines the facilities of a traditional, coal fired forge, modern welding and machine tools, and a fine metals studio equipped for casting and sheet forming. The shop has been in full operation since 1991, providing services for museums, retail shops, historic re-enactors and original artistic forgings for private commissions. " I have developed a strong personal style, clearly visible through a body of past work. Like Art Nouveau, it is strongly influenced by historic European artifacts, and features aggressively forged elements combined into flowing lines and often asymmetrical overall designs. I had forged a style - but one without a name. The conceptual designs of Allen Lee and Richard Howe seen in Jackson's Lord of the Rings had also been based on those same Norse, Saxon and Celtic objects I knew so well. In the material culture created for the Elves of Rivendale especially, I saw the same mixture of the Norse Urnes style blended through Art Nouveau lines which marked by own (long developed!) designs. I have come to use the term ' Rivendale ' to describe my distinctive metalwork style." |
