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Chicken Coop Forge is where blacksmiths, Jeannette
Brandt and Michael Parwana, create their art. Their smithing started
about seven years ago when Mike gave Jeannette a present of an item
auctioned at North Country Public Radio—a blacksmith lesson with
John Scarlett.
Both now belong to the New York State Designer
Blacksmiths organization, which has several hundred members, of which
about 20% work full time as blacksmiths and fewer than 5% are women.
They like the “oldness” of the craft and the immediate
gratification in seeing a piece develop from a cold, plain piece of
steel into a beautiful piece of art. However, there are drawbacks: the
cold in winter, the dirt and the danger. The heat of the
forge can reach temperatures as high as 2200 to 2500 degrees.
Brandt and Parwana have both a coal and gas forge; one of the
advantages of the coal forge is the patina it creates.
Much of the work they create is functional:
fireplace tools, fireplace screens, candlesticks, and lighting
fixtures. Their custom work has also included stairways, railings, and
tables. On occasion, they have had the luxury of creating items with
very few budget restrictions, which has really allowed them to use
their creativity. The more decorative and the more time a piece takes,
the more the expense but also the more interesting and enjoyable for
the creator. The fence recently installed at Crandall Park was once
located at the Broad Street School and has now found itself another
life thanks to Jeannette and Mike. However, much of their work is
commissioned from out of the area.
When asked how someone can receive training in
blacksmithing, they told me that the Artist Blackmith’s Association
of North America, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine,
Southern Illinois in Carbondale, and some folk and craft schools in
the country offer formal classes, week long classes, or course
studies. An apprentice program has also been started by NYS Designer
Blacksmiths. They stated that traditional work doesn’t require a lot
of equipment or initial expense. Someone interested could set up for
less than $1000. |
