Irons in the Fire - Part 4 'Strike while the Iron is Hot'

Paintings of the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,

Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops

'Strike while the iron is hot'  is a very old proverb, and like the phrase 'irons in the fire' comes directly from blacksmithing.

It means when you have an opportunity to do something, do it before you lose your chance.
Plein air painters and blacksmiths both need quick reflexes.

Forging,Wrought Artworks 
2010 oil on canvas 20 x 25cm

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I grabbed the opportunity and caught a dramatic moment in a small canvas.

I don't know whether the small white hot bit of metal is supposed to be on the floor and is part of the process, or whether it was a bit of accidental run off. We're all wearing safety boots anyway, and it looks spectacular.

More Eveleigh paintings

Related posts

Irons in the fire
Watching the forge fires fade

Playing with fire

Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb

Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work

The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
Time for Safety 
The slow return from the fire 
The fire within 
En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

Irons in the Fire - Part 3 'Hot'

Paintings of the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,

Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops

The phrase 'iron in the fire' refers to an undertaking or project in progress. The phrase 'several irons in the fire' refers to a number of jobs or possibilities available at the same time.

A person who has a 'few irons in the fire' has a number of things working to their advantage at the same time. 

All of the above apply to me as well as the blacksmiths I'm painting.

I haven't been rushing between furnace and anvil, while juggling white hot metal, except metaphorically.

I have been painting at many locations recently - 3 separate places within the huge Eveleigh Railway Workshop complex ( the Heritage Store next to Carriageworks, the large Erecting Shop and Wrought Artworks in the Australian Technology Park); the ships moored off Wharf 7 near the Australian National Maritime Museum; the top of the Sydney Ports Corporation Harbour Control Tower; finishing a panorama of Summer Hill from the top of the soon to be renovated Mungo Scott Flour Mills; and most recently, standing out in the pouring rain on the OPT (Overseas Passenger Terminal) at Circular Quay while painting the maiden call of the gigantic luxury cruise ship the 'Queen Elizabeth'.

I could have done with a bit of fire during that last one, as despite wearing a Driza-bone, which I had thought might be overkill for February, I got soaked to the skin and froze.

I've managed to time it this summer so that I am painting a blazing forge in 40C degree heat and ships in the harbour on a chilly grey dawn.

'Hot' 2010 oil on canvas 25 x 20 cm
  Enquiries about this painting

I like the way that the forge has 'hot' helpfully written on it with a 'this way up' arrow. Another great moment in OHS (Occupational Health and Safety).

Related posts

• Irons in the fire
  

• Watching the forge fires fade
• Playing with fire
• Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb
• Strike while the iron is hot

• Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work
  
•  Eveleigh paintings
• The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
• Time for Safety 
• The slow return from the fire 
• The fire within 
• En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

Irons in the fire - Part 2

Painting the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,

Bay 1/2 Eveleigh Railway Workshops

Starting the new canvas
'Chris at the Massey Air Hammer' 2011
unfinished oil painting on canvas 36 x 46 cm
Private Collection : Sydney

Art versus life!
'Chris at the Massey Air Hammer' 2011
 unfinished oil painting on canvas 36 x 46 cm
Private Collection : Sydney

Starting another new canvas - and trying hard not to stand too close to a pair of blokes nonchalantly waving white-hot lumps of metal around. I still haven't painted at the blacksmith's often enough to be absolutely certain as to exactly where I should stand or sit so as not to get in the way!

Almost finished

'Chris at the Massey Air Hammer' 2011
unfinished oil painting on canvas 36 x 46 cm
Private Collection : Sydney

They only stand in these positions for a few moments at a time - but these movements are repeated sequentially over and over again throughout a couple of afternoons. I soon decide on a couple of poses that to me are the most characteristic and dramatic of the sequence.

In this canvas, the taut expression of Chris and the tension shown in the tightness of his forearms and the strained balance of his pose add to the feeling of potential danger, and are a tribute to the level of skill required by their craft.

'Forging at Wrought Artworks'
2010 oil on canvas 36x46cm  

Enquiries about similar paintings

Related posts

• Irons in the fire
  

• Watching the forge fires fade
• Playing with fire
• Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb
• Strike while the iron is hot

• Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work
  
•  Eveleigh paintings
• The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
• Time for Safety 
• The slow return from the fire 
• The fire within 
• En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

Irons in the Fire - Part 1 'Smith Forging'

The first of several posts showing canvases painted from life during a forging.

Painting a 'forging' at Wrought Artworks,
Eveleigh Railway Workshops

Open-die drop forging is also known as smith forging.

Dave and Lok forging at Wrought Artworks 2010 

oil on canvas 41 x 51cm
Enquiries about this painting

In open-die forging, a hammer strikes and deforms the workpiece, which is placed on a stationary anvil.

Dave and Lok forging at Wrought Artworks 2010 

oil on canvas 41 x 51cm
Enquiries about this painting

It's called 'Open-die forging'  because the dies (the surfaces that are in contact with the workpiece) don't enclose the workpiece, allowing it to flow except where

its in contact.

The blacksmith must position the workpiece to get the desired shape. The die is usually flat, but some have a specially shaped surface which may be round, concave, or convex.

Dave and Lok forging at Wrought Artworks 2010 

oil on canvas 41 x 51cm
Enquiries about this painting

Open-die forging is used for art smithing and custom work.

Dave and Lok forging at Wrought Artworks 2010 

oil on canvas 41 x 51cm
Enquiries about this painting

In this canvas Dave and Lok are working hot iron, which they have just taken out of the furnace.

They are shaping the iron into curved spikes for the grill of a decorative fence with the historic 'Massey' air hammer.

Related posts

Strike while the iron is hot
Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work
 Eveleigh paintings
The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
Time for Safety 
The slow return from the fire 
The fire within 
En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)