DIYer Elmer Roush is a self-taught blacksmith who creates unique sculptures. "Blacksmithing was seriously declining and was almost non-existence in this country in the late '60s, early '70s," Elmer says. "But there has been a bit of a resurrection craft in this country ... a vast majority of blacksmithers are hobbyists now."
"From my own personal experience, anything easy to do just isn't worth while," Elmer says. Maybe this is why he enjoys creating amazing pieces, such as a fire-eating dragon. "If you do this work, you might get used to the calluses, but you never get immune to the heat." "What I like best about steel is ... its resistance to my shaping process," Elmer explains. "I like the physical effort of putting it [the sculpture] into shape." He continues, "Although I do take some pleasure in working with bronze and copper, steel is by far my brethren." In creating his dragon masterpiece, Elmer begins by carving the nostrils (figure A). "Like any craftsperson, I'd rather be making things than fixing things," Elmer says. Even though Elmer taught himself at first by reading books, he says he learned more in his first two-week workshop than he had by reading books for six years. "I corrected some bad habits," he admits. "Not everything you do can you stand back and say, 'I like that,'" he says. But his fire-eating dragon is a piece of art (photo, right). Elmer also admits that even if her were independently wealthy and didn't need to do a job, he'd still be a blacksmith. "I have a passion for doing this work, and to see other people pick it up and go on with it is like some kind of justification," he says. All you have to do is take one look at Elmer's impressive art to see that he has a passion for his craft!
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