Monches Artist Holiday Faire

Featured Artist

Alan Meyer 11/1/2024 - Rustic Anvil Forge LLC

What is your medium?

I am a blacksmith and proprietor of Rustic Anvil Forge LLC in Hartford, WI. My main medium is hot rolled steel forging in both bituminous coal and natural gas.

How Long have you been doing your craft/artistry?

I have been learning the craft of blacksmithing since October 16th, 2016. First through class instructions, You Tube videos, and finally mentorship with a master blacksmith from Sun Prairie, WI. I work out of a shop in Hartford and spend much of the summer doing pro bono work to share my craft with other people. It turned from a fascination to a hobby to a financial livelihood.

How did you get started in your craft/artistry?

I love hobbies that are a bit out of the ordinary and somewhat expensive. If I am not designing model railroad sets, then I am saving the planet raising bees, and now I have become the local blacksmith in an art that transcends the imagination and makes things that are useful.

What sets you apart from other artists?

My craft transcends time itself. I can hammer out crosses from the 12th century crusades or make useful items for everyday household wares. Metal, like many other mediums is only governed by one's imagination and creativity. Inside each bar of steel is something useful waiting to come out, and it is not always what you first intended it to be.