The Making of a Footprint

Went to bed at 12:30 last night and woke up at six. I slowly swung my legs over the bed and stared at the first rays of light prying through the shades into the gloomy room. Shadows left over from the night still clung to the walls and to the clothes scattered on the floor. I walked over to the shade and pulled it open to reveal a sun, barely there. The snow was heavy on the trees and the sky began to change its disposition, glowing orange along the horizon... As I drove north the ceiling of the sky descended. Clouds hovered and fleetingly let loose flurries of snow. At eleven I pulled off 95 to meet with Robert Menard of the Ball and Chain Forge in Portland, Maine.

Like Carl West, Robert also had a beard. His shop was small and the building that it was in was actually run as a co-op (Hi, are you a member of REI?). He shared the space with a carpenter and an artist, whom I saw for two seconds before he scurried into his corner. Robert started smithing at 14 and worked many trades to gather the skill set and the vast number of tools that he has now. The Ball and Chain has only been open for eight years.

He told me the straight and narrow: Its a business. The second piece that he ever made, he sold. As much as you love the craft you have to realize blacksmithing as a career means putting out product on a consistent basis so that you can pay the overhead, the simple cost of just running/renting/working a smith shop. According to him there is no dabbling in blacksmithing, once you're in, you're hooked.

Every time a Blink 182 song came on in the car back on the road north, I couldnt help but to feel as though I was in a bad teenage road trip movie. (see Road Trip, Euro Trip)

Metal Sculpture at Bates College

I find myself at Bates and impressed by what I have seen. It makes me wonder why I didn't look at this college or even think about it when I was applying. In fact I didn't look at any school in Maine. Anywho, I have met up with a friend from home, Ned, with whom I'll be staying for the next few days.

For the moment I am making good use of the library, and Ned's login, without it this post might have never happened. I'm signing off, but will be back tomorrow after I smith with Derek Glaser!