GaryGencarelle

http://gencarelle.com/blog/

Male

Flagstaff Arizona

I have been creating fine furniture for 40 years. I began my leather working career during the late 1960's in San Francisco's Haight- Ashbusby. Yes I was one of the hippies there making sandals and art from fine tooling leathers. My blacksmithing career began in Minnesota in 1982 while searching for custom hardware that I required for a furniture commission. I was unable at that time to find these pieces at a reasonable price. After locating a forge through a friend in the small town of Lake City where we lived on the banks of the Mississippi River my adventure in hand forged ironwork began. Along with the forge came some basic tools and enough coal to get me started in this fascinating work of turning iron into works of practical art. Since that time I have been fortunate enough to take classes from some very competent craftsmen allowing me to forge ironwork efficiently. I create all my own designs and do all my own fabrications here in northern Arizona. My workshops are small but very well stocked keeping with my philosophy that all these art forms were once done completely by hand with no power equipment what so ever. I am currently an adjunct professor teaching both woodworking and artistic blacksmithing at Coconino Community College.