Why I Started Forging Flowers (and What I’ve Learned So Far)

I’ve always loved including leaves and flowers in Black Fox’s custom hanging signs, taking inspiration from Aubrey Beardsley’s Art Nouveau style of Illustration. A lot of our laser cut signs and murals include very natural forms in 2 D, so it felt like a natural progression to try and take these ideas into 3D.

We have also been making a point of trying to steer our family business in more of a hand forged direction – something totally hand made cannot be ripped off from behind a computer screen, so in a way it’s an experiment in future proofing our business while the law takes it’s time in catching up with AI thefts of artists work!

First Attempts at Blacksmith made Flowers

The first thing I did was draw out a simple repeating design that could be cut in different sizes. It’s not really based on any particular flower, but I knew I wanted it to be made from multiple layers and with plenty of texture.  I use a cross pein hammer to create the lined texture down the centre of each petal, followed by a ball pein to hit each piece over the hardy hole in my anvil – this added a gentle curve to each layer of petals. Then we’ve welded in a small rivet as the flower centre. I felt it was a great start, a nice way to combine laser cutting with forgework. 

When I welded on the stem, I made the mistake of just using a completely straight bit of round bar, think I was running out of time in the workshop that day so just went for it! Immediately I knew this did not fit with the natural aesthetic I was aiming for, but still, not bad for a first go. 

I had originally intended to paint these flowers in bright colours but actually I loved the natural colours of the bare metal, we decided to leave it to begin with. On this first piece, I gilded the centre in 23.5 carat gold leaf which we felt compliments the authentic subtle hues of the blued steel.

The Forging Process

After making a couple of these, I thought it was time to try a new style of flower. I took a photo of a daisy and drew around it on my graphics tablet, taking care to include any natural imperfections. Once these were cut, I spent a bit of time playing about with different sizes of centres, some made from forged balls cut in half, others from larger rivets. I experimented with texturing some of these, heating them in the coal forge and using a centre punch to replicate a dimply texture, plus we tried another with spot welds all over it. I found I loved the ones with really large centres best!

With the Daisy, I’ve gone for 2 layers, and rather than texturing the petals, I’ve been shaping them. I even made my own jig, (basically 2 bits of round bar welded the right distance apart in order to curve each petal perfectly) which combined with the ball pein hammer over the hardy hole technique, gave a nice, authentic shape to the flower.

 I had also been working on various hand forged leaf designs, so I enjoyed had playing about with which leaf suited which flower, and how best to weld them onto the curvy, natural stems. I found that having a small curve of 4mm round bar, swirling around the main stem really added to the hand forged look of the piece in a very art nouveau sort of way, which I suppose was exactly what I was aiming for!

I loved the process and was generally very happy with the results, but I felt they needed a purpose, so we had a bit of a brainstorming session as to what we could use my flowers for! We came up with all sorts of ideas to try, from plant pot hangers to curtain tie backs -we wanted to create some small, saleable products for the market, that could be sold at a reasonably low cost for on the day purchases.

What didn't work

One idea that I didn’t think worked was a little trinket bowl I made using the Daisy style flower – I welded a little ring on the bottom to keep it stable, but had not put a centre in the flower in order for it to be used as a bowl, and I think this really took something away from it. Good to know though!

Throughout the process we’ve had a couple of mishaps where I’ve left a flower or leaf in the forge too long reheating; thin metal has a tendency to burn very quickly so I learnt to keep a closer eye on it’s colour at all times! It's more than a little annoying when something you've spent the last half hour making by hand comes out like a sparkler!

The Metal Finish Dilemma

A big question for us was what to finish our flowers in. I loved the natural colours of the steel, that bluey purple you get with metal that’s been heated is stunning in a really subtle way, so did not want to paint, electroplate or anything else over it. But, we did want some adequate rust protection for anything going outdoors. We did some research online and created a mix of beeswax and linseed oil, however this did not work for the flowers with several layers as it’s impossible to get in between petals, so in the end we opted for a couple of coats of a clear spray lacquer. Having the flowers with the gilded centres suitable outside was really essential as the gold leaf glints so beautifully in the sunshine.

How these initial flower designs are evolving

The day before Reivers market, I decided to produce something using the leftover leaves and flowers I had lying around on the workbench. It was really spontaneous and it’s genuinely one of my favourite things I’ve ever made! The composition of it extending a little way out of the frame, plus the way we’ve punched offset holes suits it so well; it’s like a little work of art to hang on the wall and appreciate the organic shades of the heated steel. It sold at the market, so I couldn’t admire it for long, but this is a direction we definitely want to go in for the future – I think one off pieces like this could be a great idea as there is so much scope for developing it.

What's Next for Black Fox's forged flowers

I'm so excited to develop my ideas from the one off framed forged flower piece above! I'd love to work on larger scale pieces, multi frame piece that link together, maybe even frames for mirrrors if I can work out how to safely attach the glass. I love the idea of metal winding around the frame itself, so my next job is to try some Ivy leaves. I'll need to practice my chisel work in order to get the distinctive veins right! And, I'm determined to get some paint on one of my flowers, even if just to rule it out because I love the natural colour of metal so much.

If you would like to discuss a forged flower commission, contact Black Fox today.