An absent-minded brush of bare skin against a single leaf of the Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) can feel disastrous - resulting in small but persistently uncomfortable burning welts that often give the plant a bad reputation. However, when handled mindfully, every part of the Nettle can be harvested for various applications: as nutritious greens to eat, brewed as teas and other extracts for medicines, processed into cordage and fabric, or composted into a rich soil amendment.
Similarly, the transformative power of fire is both a blessing and a terror: even the smallest flame may grow into a devastating force. When approached with presence and intention, the heat from combustion can be used as a tool with innumerable implementations. The effective forging of hot steel and the successful harvest of a fickle wild edible both impart a sense of simultaneous humility and empowerment. Mindfulness and sense of purpose enable us to unlock the potentials within these elemental allies, to nourish our bodies and our creativity, to build and metamorphose.
The guiding purpose of Nettlefire Forge is to explore processes of transformation in order to create inspiring and integrous metal objects for the home and homestead.
Mak's background is in hospitality and human ecology, but when they caught the metalworking bug a few years ago, their focus shifted to forging and fabrication. After learning some basics near their home in the San Juan Islands, at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, and as a jewelry production assistant at Material Wit, they relocated to Seattle to pursue her education as an apprentice at Tinder Heart metals & design. They lived in the city from 2016 -2019 and worked as a plasma-cutting assistant at 2K Metalworks and as a fabricator at Urban Reclamations before moving to western Pennsylvania for a position at Touchstone Center for Crafts. As the 2019 Summer Studio Assistant in the Blacksmithing Studio, they assisted visiting instructors, helped to maintain the shop and equipment, and expanded their own practice within the forge as well as other studios, including glass and ceramics. While in PA, they also had the opportunity to attend and participate in iron casting pours with Rivers of Steel Arts in Pittsburgh. Mak returned to Touchstone as the Blacksmithing Technician for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and enjoyed working on a variety of projects in the Hart Moore Blacksmith Studio.
Mak is currently travelling as a journeyman, working for various shops around the country. They worked with Davis Metalmsmiths in Temple, TX, and are currently employed by MDO Welding & Fabrication in Chicago, IL.
Follow her work on Instagram at @nettlefireforge!
