Ph: (608) 850-4155 • • 6600 Kopp Rd., Waunakee, WI 53597
Ph: (608) 850-4155 • • 6600 Kopp Rd., Waunakee, WI 53597 |
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 DON ESSERBlacksmith, Metal Artist, and Sculptor After college I spent several years living in a teepee on a commune in SW Wisconsin describing myself as a "professional hippie." It led me to an interest in blacksmithing. Thirty years ago, I converted the lower half of our machine shed into the Golden Hammer Forge. As a philosophy student in college, I liked the alchemical metaphor of the golden hammer leaving an atom or two of gold in everything I forged, with the possibility that it would eventually turn to gold, or at the very least be worth its weight in gold. I've never charged enough for my work to afford plating my hammer in gold, but I did rub the hammer face quite vigorously with a gold ring and, atoms being very small, there's hope yet. When I first opened my shop in 1978, I produced a functional line of work, with a strong emphasis on decorative elements, lots of plant and animal forms, dragons, flowers scrolls, with twisting, stamping and decorative chiseling whenever I could fit them in. I made pot racks, fireplace tools, plant hangers and hooks, everything from swords to garden gates. In the evenings I'd teach blacksmithing classes. My students made a variety of forged keepsakes and I made a number of lifelong friends. For several years I worked summers at the Renaissance Faire in Bristol, WI, straightening the swords of the jousters and even forged an elephant prod for the animal trainer. Over the years I've done architectural commission work and sold my work through galleries and art fairs and now increasingly to the children of my original customers. Recently, I've moved into sculptural garden art using native glacial stone from our farm together with forged steel components to create fish, sea gulls, ravens and turtles. When you visit the Steelwool Studio you can see my larger sculptures, made primarily from recycled scrap steel and farm implements, some works in progress, and a sword or two. If you've ever wondered what to do with those overgrown zucchinis, they make for excellent sword practice. At our studio you can buy a broad range of work: hooks, plant hangers and a variety of key holders with decorative motifs, larger four-hook racks (suitable for clothes, cups, backpacks, dog leashes, bathroom and hot tub towels, etc.). I also make larger coatracks with five hooks, decorated with a walleye, muskie, or bass. As a grape grower and wine maker, I take great pride in my wine-related items: key racks, coatracks, stools, chairs and a line of hand forged corkscrews, both modern and historical reproductions. Depending on the season, there are wines to sample (not yet for sale), including the rare "Dandelion Nectar." In the off season, November through April, I do commission work. Please call, e-mail, or stop in to discuss details. PHOTO GALLERIES OF DON'S ARTWORK: Hand Forged Metal Wine Art • Online Purchase Collection • Outdoor Metal Sculpture VIEW DON'S ART FAIR & GARDEN ART SALE CALENDAR |