Welcome to Wood-Iron Design Creatively working with metals since 1997 & with an ever increasing fascination of forging steel (ARTIST BLACKSMITHING) my work has evolved. The past 9 years I have exhibited sculpture at selected galleries & undertook site specific sculptural & architectural commissions for both the public and private sectors. All commissions are individually designed & finished to a high quality, using traditional forging & modern fabricating techniques. In the forging process steel is heated to working temperature, usually red to yellow in colour & wrought to shape by hammers, punches, chisels, presses etc. All shapes can be achieved though the use of tools or jigs made specifically for each job. The joining of the sections can be by handmade rivets, tennon joins or fire welding as opposed to electric welding, giving each piece a character of its own. My main medium is steel, both mild and stainless. Non ferrous metals such as copper, brass and bronze are used in conjunction. Timber and stone have also known to be used. In recent years GARDEN ART has become increasingly popular as we Australians take advantage of our climate and lifestyle, opening up creative opportunities for myself and other artist/crafts people in the designing of sculpture, fountains, furniture, gates, railings and balustrades. About the Artist Upon leaving school in 1984, I had various employment in different fields of industry, none remotely associated with art, design or sculpture. During the mid 90's I was fabricating livestock handling equipment, fortunately as it turned out, next door to a well known Wagga artist, the late Michael Murphy. Amazed by Michaels ability to transform steel into life was what fuelled my interest to look at a career in creative metal work. In 1997 I attended an introduction to Artistic Blacksmithing through Wangaratta TAFE (Glen Mitchell). Having grown up on my parents grazing property & now live and work in a country setting with my wife Natalie & two children Amelia & Georgie, my influences & inspirations arrive from this surrounding environment, rural & regional NSW. I enjoy observing the way we as Australians live and behave, on the surface, easy going, not too serious and a little bit of larrikin in us all, also our fanatical love of sport. As an Artist/Craftsman the quest for technical freedom is ever present. In Jan 2005 I was granted a 12 month training visa to work in the UK with internationally renowned Artist Blacksmith, Brian Russell. My family accompanied me. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the process of forging steel for Architectural and sculptural commissions along with design and installation of public art. All of which I hope to expand upon.