jake james artist blacksmith
jake james

about Jake James, the artist blacksmith

Jake James is an English born blacksmith, now living on the west shores of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Born in east London, Jake spent his early years living on a barge in east India docks. Much of his childhood was spent on the westerly tip of England - Cornwall. On the wild promontories of his ancestral homeland, Jake developed a deep respect and admiration for the beauty of his natural environment; which inspires much of his work today.

2009
Works in Progress

2008

sculptural bird


2005-2007

2002 - 2004
Journeyman's Travels

Traveling as a journeyman blacksmith is a rich tradition in the craft. Having developed my skills under the tutelage of a master blacksmith, I left England further to explore and develop my own understanding of the craft and its place in the world. My travels took me first to Sri Lanka. Under a roof of squashed oil drums deep in the mountains, I worked with the village smith. Barefoot and clad only in sarongs we forged plough shares, axes and sickles for the rice harvest. This was a lesson in ingenuity and resourcefulness- everything was recycled and done with the bare minimum of equipment. In India I spent a month working silver, both jewelry and inlaying. I then came to North America. I toured the west coast of the US, visiting a number of highly regarded blacksmiths and demonstrating at the California Blacksmiths Association's Octoberfest, before deciding to set up shop on Vancouver Island.

1999 - 2002
The Forge, Braishfield England

Sole employee of Richard Bent, Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. Holder of the Worshipful Company Silver Medal, and three time National Champion Blacksmith. Richard is a highly respected designer and maker. My time with him (the length of a formal apprenticeship) provided me with a solid grounding in all the making processes, and also opened my eyes to the creative freedom granted by the ability to work hot steel.

jake in his forge

As Richard's only employee I was heavily involved in all aspects of the work, from design to forging, fabricating, finishing and installation. Projects I was a part of included:

On every project I worked to Richard's high standards of craftsmanship, often being left to develop ideas from my own perspective. In county competitions I continued to have success, being awarded prizes at every show I entered. Awarded Journeyman's Certificate by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths.

1998 - 1999
Hereford College of Technology, England

 
vancouver island bc canada
JAKEJAMES artist blacksmith inc. © 2009 -