Meet Ellen Durkan | Artist & blacksmith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ellen Durkan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ellen, how do you think about risk?
I think as an artist you have to be willing to take risks since there is no straightforward life path. When i started college i was in the Nursing program because i didn’t want to financially struggle. At the same time i continued to take art classes at another college because i loved art, however i didn’t think it would be a pragmatic life decision. Well , surprise! I did not stay in the nursing major i switched to art school full time. From there went on to graduate with my MFA in fine arts sculpture in 2009, and loads of student load debt. I was introduced to blacksmithing At Peters Valley Craft Center the same time i was in graduate school and i spend a summer at the craft center as the blacksmithing shop assistant. That experience changed the direction of my art, When i got home worked on getting a small forge set up in the garage, I won a grant that year and put the money towards buying a anvil and forge set up. I accidentally fell into blacksmithing because the malleability of the steel was exciting and i wanted to explore it further.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My interest in blacksmithing started while i was in graduate school around 2008 ; while I was getting my MFA in fine arts sculpture. The program had a gas forge and i started paying around with heating metal and manipulating it, the malleability of the steel was exciting and i wanted to explore it further. I started welding these forged linear steel structures that encapsulated the body. The female figure has always been a big part of my process, even in my drawings. I started building these dress cages and i placed nude women inside them, the dresses were complete with 12″-24″ hand made shoes. These earlier pieces were stationary. A professor at my college saw me trying to do some version of blacksmithing and suggested i apply for a summer assistant at Peters Valley Craft Center. At the time i had no idea what blacksmiths did , so i was pretty in the dark about everything. I applied with my portfolio of nude women in metal and was accepted as the shop assistant. I do remember years later talking to blacksmith coordinator at the time and he was like , well i think this girl is on to something , lets give her a chance. I arrived and was completely clueless but learned a lot in the next few weeks about blacksmithing. I was a bit intimidated by the first workshop because i didn’t have any background in forging. It was also a tool making and power hammer forging class. Things i had no experience with and the instructor did a lot of math also not my strength. Once i started watching him move the metal it made sense; I was understanding the material a bit better. I practiced different techniques throughout the summer with a range of instructors and i started to see how I could use this material in my own way. After my first experience working in coal forges and around actual blacksmiths, i went back and dove fully into the forging. I got into the metal work from my art background, i didn’t have a traditional mentor so there was a lot of figuring out what worked and what didn’t. Having a mentor or blacksmithing community is definitely helpful if you are getting started you can find you closest Blacksmithing association or guild. Also talking workshops is a fantastic way to learn.

When I started teaching my “forged wearable art and body adornment” classes it was definitely and not a traditional class in the blacksmith community, especially 15 years ago. There were still a lot of the old school people like “who’s this chick putting metal on naked women.” I didn’t let that deter me , I was young and had big ideas and needed to get the skills to create them. I wasn’t about to let the crunchy people dictate what was an acceptable outlet for my ideas. I kept working on developing my craft and sharing my ideas and process. I see a lot people, especially women of all ages take my workshops and they find the forging process and their class results super empowering. At the end of the workshops I photograph the students in the pieces and I really enjoy helping people tap into what makes them feel confident and strong.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well at this point in my life i enjoy a quiet less poeplely location where i can sit and have a conversation over a margarita or espresso martini.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to the blacksmithing community especially the California Blacksmith Association for always be supportive of my crazy adventures. My parents who never told me i was crazy for pursuing this unfamiliar direction in life . My friends, models and especially my photographers Ric Frane and Joe Hoddinott.

Website: www.ellendurkan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironmaidenforge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellendurkanofironmaidenforge/

Image Credits
Joe Hoddinott ( 6 images ) Ric frane (2 images) with red background and one with 5 figures