05/01/2024
Happy New Year to you all. First of all, thank you all for following, supporting and generously engaging in my work. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.
Quite a few new followers and it’s a bit of a scroll since I last did an introduction so here it goes.
My name is Neil (40 now 😵💫)and I established Willow Forge 4 years ago after about 13/14 years or so making and restoring sculptures. The majority of that time in the studio of Sir Anthony Caro in Camden Town. I also have a Masters in Fine Art Sculpture completing my MA at the Royal College of Art London in 2008-10, this led to a long stint as a represented artist, exhibiting my work nationally and internationally. I have also taught Fine Art at universities and colleges in that time. Something I continue to do part time.
Covid, having children and moving out of London changed a lot of things in my life. I can definitely say for the better. Overnight when covid hit, the Art World closed for a long time. Instead of waiting and choosing to re-engage with quite a conflicting system, I chose to control my future. I set about applying all my metal work, making skills, creativity and most importantly my drive and ambition to eventually mastering this craft. So that’s where it began. I literally worked day and night to accelerate my learning and experience in that first year. Since then I have dedicated half my week and each and every night until early hours to knife making. Do I work too hard? Probably. But I love it.
So, have I mastered this craft? Nope. But that’s ok. Don’t get me wrong, my knives are able to stand up to the best out there. That was the initial goal. But I don’t think you ever truly master anything. There’s always something else to learn and develop. And that’s where I am at now, 4 years in, over 100 knives made. Last year I made 35 knives, experimented more, the majority being my own laminations and combinations of steels and patterns in house, I feel I developed a lot.
This year will be pushing myself and my work further. I want to bring in my experience of casting into handle work. Trying new approaches to construction and how blade and handle interact.
So here it goes. 🙏
