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Price

£950

Story behind the artwork

Since the very beginning of my career as a blacksmith, I was fascinated by a traditional finishing technique called oil blackening. Usually, this is a purely practical step: you burn motor oil into the hot metal to create a black, corrosion-resistant coating, which is then sealed with wax or lacquer.

However, during my daily work, I began to notice something. When this technique was applied to larger, flat surfaces like sheet metal, it created textures and depths that felt incredibly "painterly." I wondered for years how I could use this for something more than just gates or tools. Finally, I decided to stop wondering and start experimenting.

The Birth of a Style: Seven Sisters was my very first attempt at a "Steel Canvas." Because this was a technical test, I didn't agonize over the subject matter. I simply looked at the screensaver on my computer—an image of the iconic Seven Sisters chalk cliffs—and decided to use that as my guide.

I forged the cliffs as a relief and mounted them onto a steel plate. I then used the fire to burn oil into the surface, but I added a new step: I pre-ground the metal with a special disc to create highlights that would catch the light through the black carbon. When I applied the final lacquer, I knew I had found something special.

The Lesson: Technologically, this piece might not be as "perfect" as my later works, but its value to me is immeasurable. It was the proof I needed that the creative process doesn't have to follow a prescribed path. It taught me that fire and oil could do more than protect metal—they could tell stories. From this one experiment, an entire decade of my artistic life was born.

The stories behind my artwork, the opportunities in The Lighthouse, and the reflections of the Morning Muse are my ways of keeping the lamp lit for our creative community. These resources will always be free to access. If they have found you at the right time, consider fueling the forge to help keep the fire burning. Your support, in any amount, is deeply appreciated.

Get in Touch

phone

+44 7926264019

email

contact@steelcanvasgallery.com