The art of forgery: Jackson County blacksmiths learn the art of their business and the business of art
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer
Deep in the mountains that surround Jackson County’s Tuckasegee community, the sound of metal on metal rings out with a sharp ping as blacksmith David Brewin begins to shape a steel rod.
The rod, heated in a propane power forge, glows red, its tip approximately 2,000 degrees. Brewin deftly raises and fells his hammer, steel bending around the anvil’s curved edge and forming a graceful curl.
Petal to the metal: Franklin metal artist Victor Raul Moraloza grows in art as in life
By Michael Beadle
For Victor Raul Moraloza, each day is a gift.
From being a high school wrestling champion to surviving a grenade explosion in the Vietnam War to treasure diving off the coast of Colombia to creating award-winning metal sculptures that are sold all over the United States, Moraloza has always been willing to take that gift and do what he could with it.
Work in process: In life as in art, glass artist John Nickerson is a student of methodology
By Sarah Kucharski
John Nickerson is a very exacting man. Tall and solidly built, he moves with efficiency, his speech measured and pointed as he explains how he came into being a glassblower.
“I don’t do this to make tons of money. I do this because I can’t stand working for anybody else,” he said.
Exploring the creative side with handcrafted jewelry
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer
Jewelry artist Debbie Higdon makes what she likes to wear — handmade pieces, created from twisted and soldered silver wires and cut silver sheets.
