Pieh Tool

The biography of Francis Whitaker as told to Gary Mansfield. Francis is a living legend--he actually has been nominated as a "Living Treasure", under a program of the National Endowment for the Arts.

This book is reminiscences, both fascinating and inspiring, with photographs of Francis and his work.

Using innovative techniques, photographer Karl Blossfeldt produced arresting images of seed pods, buds, stems, and other botanical items. This spectacular collection features scores of his remarkable photographs of plant life, offering artists and craftspeople a treasury of royalty-free pictures and design inspirations. 120 full-page black-and-white plates.

Metal Artists in Western U.S.

Zastrow

Passion and Power celebrates human imagination, determination and sweat. Feel your creativity and sense of adventure awaken as you read the stories of more than fifty extraordinary artists from the American west. Sharing their words and exquisite photographs of their unique works, Zastrow chronicles the lives of men and women who dedicate themselves to creating fluid forms from malleable metal.

In your exploration of this exciting, innovative, and often challenging branch of the art world you will meet beauty and inspiration, served up by perseverance, passion and power.

Harvey

A metal sculptor for over 30 years, Henry Harvey has created work that resides in public and private collections around the world. Now, with wit and style, Harvey divulges a rare, no-holds-barred accounting of his world of metal sculpting, from the lighting of a torch to techniques, patinas, strange commissions, peculiar customers, and as a candid insight to the genesis of his sculpture.

A number of projects are illustrated and explained in exquisite detail, making this book an absolute must for everyone contemplating becoming a sculptor. But A Passion for Metal is much more than a how-to book. It is richly illustrated, its narrative offers rare insights into the creative process and the inner workings of the artist's mind.

This well written and visual book will be embraced by sculptors, historians and collectors alike.

Matteazzi

A Photographic Anthology of Inspiration!
Tiziano Matteazzi lives and works in Vicenza, Italy. He learned blacksmithing from his grandfather, father, and uncle. He also studied under the great Tito Perlotto at the School of Wrought Iron (scuola di ferro battuto)at Trissino. This beautiful book, a photographic anthology of Matteazzi's work, shows this artist-blacksmith's range and depth. Like other books on individual artist-blacksmiths, the interest here for other smiths is in seeing just how varied, imaginative, and skilled one person can be. This book is in Italian but it matters very little as the only real text is a short introduction and the captions. This is basically a book of photos.

Revised & Expanded 4th Edition

McConnell

In recent years, collectors have come to recognize the beauty and value of Roycroft items, particularly the art metal which is the most available, affordable, and varied of all Roycroft collectibles. Influenced by the English movement that was spearheaded by William Morris, Elbert Hubbard began a new industry dedicated to quality of design and manufacture, from its factories near Buffalo, New York. With 179 full color illustrations, this newly revised & expanded identification and price guide offers Arts and Crafts collectors and dealers an in-depth look at the many objects that were made. Included are bowls, vases, jewelry, desk items, bookends, candlesticks and other items of interest. The text provides the history and background of the company, as well as information about each of the products illustrated. There is also a good selection of original advertising and promotional material.

Harvey

Henry Harvey's delightful and scintillating writing style presents his universe of sculpting and divulges secrets and tips on everything from metalworking tools, the creative process, and life as an artists. Join Harvey as he deconstructs and teaches how he created sculptures including abstract fountains, coffee tables, benches, and organic abstracts. This colorful journey through Harvey's 30-years of sculpting features galleries of commissions for presidents, Fortune 500 companies, and private collectors, as well as jewelry and outdoor sculptures.

National Ornamental Metal Museum Exhibition, 1999

Decorative arts make more sense in their historical and social settings than they do in the splendid isolation of museum displays. Tom Googerty's peculiar workplace helped shape his art because it largely insulated him from market forces and critics' jibes. His forge shop was not part of the malingering ISR contract labor system, so none of its products were for sale. Since there was no commerce in ISR ironwork it had no ascertainable cash value.

Both literally and figuratively priceless, the products of Googerty's shop were peculiarly pure art, valuable only for the intangible pleasures they gave to those who made and later enjoyed them.

If material conditions affected Googerty's creative output, artistic fashion helped shape his style. His time, place, and taste all put him squarely within the genre called Arts and Crafts. English in origin, Arts and Crafts was less a coherent movement than a set of widely shared attitudes toward art and life. It gained momentum in the late 1880s and quickly spread to the United States.

--- ABANA