Raymond and Connie Morris are looking forward to sharing with you an exciting day of Bird Watching. Many varieties of birds can be seen in Van Buren County because of our rich habitats. You will learn to spot different birds by silhouette, plumage, flight pattern, or even some by their distinctive calls or songs. Maybe you are an avid bird watcher or perhaps would like to become more adept at sighting and recognizing the different species. Don’t miss this opportunity! The group will meet on Saturday, May 22nd at the Mt. Sterling community building. Call our office at 319-592-3700, Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to register.
Did you ever wish you could be more personalized with the cards you send to friends and family. Well, now you can by taking part in the Beginning Card Making class being taught by Debra Herrick. Learn to use different techniques that will have you creating cards that become unique and personal. This class will be held on Saturday, May 22nd at the Opera House in Bonaparte. You must register by calling the Villages Folk School office or by printing and mailing your completed registration. The registration form can be printed from our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com. This is also a great place to find out about the many exciting classes being offered at the Villages Folk School.
Following is a list of classes coming up in June: 7 Step Chair Caning, Barn Quilt Painting, Basic Native American Craft Work, Beginning Hammered Dulcimer, Bonaparte Pottery Experience, Clothing First Aide-Mending Patching, Painting the Landscape, Story Telling For All Occasions, Greeting Card Variations, Beginning Blacksmithing, and Sculpture Portrait in Three Dimensions. These classes are all an opportunity for you to experience the joy of living the arts with one of our highly skilled artists. Their gifted abilities and passion for the arts are now being offered to you in a classroom environment that will teach you the basic skills needed to begin the process of developing your own love for the arts. The Villages Folk School offers this incredible chance for you to get away from the day to day schedule and experience for a moment the thrill of living the arts here in Van Buren County.
Call now to register at 319-592-3700 or visit our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com.
Don’t miss this opportunity! Join us for an exciting class as you begin to live the arts in the Villages of Van Buren County.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
"Tong Making at Iron and Lace Blacksmithing Class"
With the previous beginning blacksmithing class out of the way, this weekend was all about making “Tongs”. At Bill Printy’s blacksmith shop the forge was loaded with coal and heated up for a day of forging tongs. Each set of tongs have their own identity, but they are each an invaluable tool for the blacksmith. The amount of times the iron is placed and removed from the forge would be a very cumbersome task if not for the use of tongs. This class would provide the student with three to four new sets of tongs that will be a great start for his personal use in the home shop. Bill and Mark Heisdorffer were on hand to see that the process included adequate input from the instructor. They work with each student to assure not only the quality of the finished product, but the technical value of the classroom experience.
I remember the blacksmith shop in Bonaparte back in 1950. I would walk by the front of the shop and can still remember the silhouette in the darkness that pulled the handle on the large bellows pushing the air into the forge. This large figure would emerge from the smoke and flames and begin pounding the glowing metal against the anvil. Those days it was all about practical day to day repairs in the shop, as well as horse shoes. Now blacksmithing has evolved at the hand of Bill Printy and he willingly shares his love for the craft with others. I have been impressed with his love for the iron and what he has learned to craft from it. His work is truly spectacular! This weekend, as I took photos at the tong making class, I just had to admire the project he was working on. It was clamped in the air so as to provide an eye-level view. I know it is just iron, but looking at his finished work is like looking at Rembrandt or Picasso. This is the same theme over and over at the folk school classes. Gifted artists who want to share their passion and talent with others.
The Villages of Van Buren County are a unique place to live and we are so blessed to have the quality of artists that call this splendid river valley their home. The Villages Folk School is all about becoming a part of our life of living the arts. Come take a class and experience it for yourself. I have the privilege of being a part of this wonderful group of artists and telling others of the work that they do here. This is only the beginning of what can truly become a premier folk school that offers both the artistic excellence and the splendor of the constantly changing valley that surrounds our everyday campus.
The next day of classes this month is May 22nd. Two classes are scheduled that will offer something for both those who want to work inside and those who want to experience the great outdoors. A Beginning Card Making class is planned as well as a day of Bird Watching. This will be a day spent enjoying the migratory birds in our local wetlands. I hear the pelicans are coming, could it be? Just ask Raymond and Connie Morris and they will be happy to share their love of bird watching with you. Better yet! Register for their day of bird watching and see first hand the exciting array of migratory birds that make their flight path through Van Buren County, Iowa.
Registration is easily done by calling our Villages Folk School office at 319-592-3700 anytime Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon to 4 p.m. You can also print a registration form from our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com, fill it out and send it with your payment to the folk school office at Box 51, Bonaparte, Iowa.
Join us for a great weekend! We look forward to sharing this experience with you.
I remember the blacksmith shop in Bonaparte back in 1950. I would walk by the front of the shop and can still remember the silhouette in the darkness that pulled the handle on the large bellows pushing the air into the forge. This large figure would emerge from the smoke and flames and begin pounding the glowing metal against the anvil. Those days it was all about practical day to day repairs in the shop, as well as horse shoes. Now blacksmithing has evolved at the hand of Bill Printy and he willingly shares his love for the craft with others. I have been impressed with his love for the iron and what he has learned to craft from it. His work is truly spectacular! This weekend, as I took photos at the tong making class, I just had to admire the project he was working on. It was clamped in the air so as to provide an eye-level view. I know it is just iron, but looking at his finished work is like looking at Rembrandt or Picasso. This is the same theme over and over at the folk school classes. Gifted artists who want to share their passion and talent with others.
The Villages of Van Buren County are a unique place to live and we are so blessed to have the quality of artists that call this splendid river valley their home. The Villages Folk School is all about becoming a part of our life of living the arts. Come take a class and experience it for yourself. I have the privilege of being a part of this wonderful group of artists and telling others of the work that they do here. This is only the beginning of what can truly become a premier folk school that offers both the artistic excellence and the splendor of the constantly changing valley that surrounds our everyday campus.
The next day of classes this month is May 22nd. Two classes are scheduled that will offer something for both those who want to work inside and those who want to experience the great outdoors. A Beginning Card Making class is planned as well as a day of Bird Watching. This will be a day spent enjoying the migratory birds in our local wetlands. I hear the pelicans are coming, could it be? Just ask Raymond and Connie Morris and they will be happy to share their love of bird watching with you. Better yet! Register for their day of bird watching and see first hand the exciting array of migratory birds that make their flight path through Van Buren County, Iowa.
Registration is easily done by calling our Villages Folk School office at 319-592-3700 anytime Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon to 4 p.m. You can also print a registration form from our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com, fill it out and send it with your payment to the folk school office at Box 51, Bonaparte, Iowa.
Join us for a great weekend! We look forward to sharing this experience with you.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
"Shape Note Singing, Print Making, Raku Pottery, & Story Telling" Just a Week in April at the Villages Folk School!
I started toward Bentonsport with much anticipation on Tuesday, April 27. It was to be a night of singing anthems, fugues, and American Hymns from the Eighteenth Century. The night was to be led by Prairie Harmony of Southeast Iowa. I knew from past performances that they would provide a stellar night of singing, but that was not all. To sing the four part harmonies acapella is something I love to do, but this was to be my first time in the historic Bentonsport Presbyterian Church. I am always excited when I can visit historic sites, but this church is like stepping back in time. It is immaculately restored and you just can’t experience any finer setting acoustically for singing. It was truly a night to remember and I look forward to having that opportunity again.
Thursday morning it was off again and this time it was Pat Crawford’s Print Making class in the Cantril town hall. I am never bored by the drive and today I would watch a wild turkey fly across the highway and land in a nearby field. This is a great time of year! Ever changing scenery makes for a delightful trip across Van Buren County. I arrived in Cantril and Pat was already underway with her class in Print Making. I never realized the number of ways to make prints. Her class covers many mediums for making prints and includes an old style press. Pat was busy explaining the different techniques for stamping which included everything from handmade rubber stamps to etched plates made from such things as plexiglass and aluminum. I spent some time listening in on the class and taking pictures for our weekly blog and then headed for home.
Friday was to be the second day of Print Making only this day would provide a slightly different weather pattern for the drive. Thunder storms, lightning, hail and the works were on the agenda for today. Never a dull moment in Van Buren County! I proceeded to my destination in Cantril and enjoyed some more of Pat’s class instruction. It is really quite interesting to see the process that produces such incredible graphics from hand presses of yesteryear. Our student had come from Davenport and was enjoying her class as well as her stay at the Hotel Manning in Keosauqua. The beauty of our campus being spread throughout the villages is that it offers people from outside our area a chance to experience all that the Villages of Van Buren County has to offer.
Saturday morning and this day I would set my course for Bentonsport and a Raku Pottery class at Bill and Betty Printy’s Iron and Lace. This class has become a favorite for many as I spoke with one of the student’s who shared with me that this was her fifth class. Betty was busily going from student to student and making sure that all was going smoothly with the Raku process. I had never witnessed this process before so it was a learning experience for me as well. Upon arriving, Bill gave me the tour from start to finished product. The beauty of it is that no two items will be the same. I think the best part of this process is that it allows the students to take home their finished product the same day. They are offered a choice of many items that have been fired once in the kiln. The next step is to apply a glaze of their choice. Now the fun part! Special kilns that reach 1800 degrees are used to bake the glaze. Once the project has spent sufficient time in the kiln, it is removed with metal tongs and placed in garbage cans filled with wood chips and grasses that allow for a proper timeframe of cooling. Once the item is removed from the wood chips it is cleaned to reveal an incredible finish. I can see why this pottery process can become so addicting. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even Bill who’s responsibility was to keep the kilns fired to the proper temperature. You might say he is the official “Keeper of the Fire”.
My next stop was in Keosauqua at the Congregational Church where Amah Lou Schreiber was busy spinning tales at her Story Telling for all Occasions class. I sat down in the beautiful historic church and enjoyed my time as Amah Lou told story after story. She claims to have literally thousands of stories to tell and some are even true! My day was almost done as I finished taking some pictures of the story telling session. Now it was back to Bonaparte to put together the blog for next week.
Our classes are always entertaining and offer you a chance to experience first hand some of the folk and traditional arts from some very passionate artists who’s desires lead them to share their gifts and talents with those around them. Come join us for a chance to experience for yourself the joy of living the arts here at the Villages Folk School. Registration is easy. Just call our office anytime Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at 319-592-3700 or go to our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com and print the registration form.
Here is a list of what is coming up in May:
May 8: Blacksmithing: Tong Making
Container Candles
May 22: Beginning Card Making
Spring Bird Watching (a day spent in the wetlands
enjoying some incredible bird watching with an
experienced guide) Don’t miss this one!
Whatever you decide to do with your weekends, make one of your priorities a class at the Villages Folk School. It will prove to be one of life’s great moments as you “Live the Arts” with all of us at the Villages Folk School. Set your sites on a great weekend!!
Thursday morning it was off again and this time it was Pat Crawford’s Print Making class in the Cantril town hall. I am never bored by the drive and today I would watch a wild turkey fly across the highway and land in a nearby field. This is a great time of year! Ever changing scenery makes for a delightful trip across Van Buren County. I arrived in Cantril and Pat was already underway with her class in Print Making. I never realized the number of ways to make prints. Her class covers many mediums for making prints and includes an old style press. Pat was busy explaining the different techniques for stamping which included everything from handmade rubber stamps to etched plates made from such things as plexiglass and aluminum. I spent some time listening in on the class and taking pictures for our weekly blog and then headed for home.
Saturday morning and this day I would set my course for Bentonsport and a Raku Pottery class at Bill and Betty Printy’s Iron and Lace. This class has become a favorite for many as I spoke with one of the student’s who shared with me that this was her fifth class. Betty was busily going from student to student and making sure that all was going smoothly with the Raku process. I had never witnessed this process before so it was a learning experience for me as well. Upon arriving, Bill gave me the tour from start to finished product. The beauty of it is that no two items will be the same. I think the best part of this process is that it allows the students to take home their finished product the same day. They are offered a choice of many items that have been fired once in the kiln. The next step is to apply a glaze of their choice. Now the fun part! Special kilns that reach 1800 degrees are used to bake the glaze. Once the project has spent sufficient time in the kiln, it is removed with metal tongs and placed in garbage cans filled with wood chips and grasses that allow for a proper timeframe of cooling. Once the item is removed from the wood chips it is cleaned to reveal an incredible finish. I can see why this pottery process can become so addicting. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even Bill who’s responsibility was to keep the kilns fired to the proper temperature. You might say he is the official “Keeper of the Fire”.
My next stop was in Keosauqua at the Congregational Church where Amah Lou Schreiber was busy spinning tales at her Story Telling for all Occasions class. I sat down in the beautiful historic church and enjoyed my time as Amah Lou told story after story. She claims to have literally thousands of stories to tell and some are even true! My day was almost done as I finished taking some pictures of the story telling session. Now it was back to Bonaparte to put together the blog for next week.
Our classes are always entertaining and offer you a chance to experience first hand some of the folk and traditional arts from some very passionate artists who’s desires lead them to share their gifts and talents with those around them. Come join us for a chance to experience for yourself the joy of living the arts here at the Villages Folk School. Registration is easy. Just call our office anytime Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at 319-592-3700 or go to our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com and print the registration form.
Here is a list of what is coming up in May:
May 8: Blacksmithing: Tong Making
Container Candles
May 22: Beginning Card Making
Spring Bird Watching (a day spent in the wetlands
enjoying some incredible bird watching with an
experienced guide) Don’t miss this one!
Whatever you decide to do with your weekends, make one of your priorities a class at the Villages Folk School. It will prove to be one of life’s great moments as you “Live the Arts” with all of us at the Villages Folk School. Set your sites on a great weekend!!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
"Talking 'Theatre' At The Villages Folk School"
I am always excited when others share their passion for the arts with me. Last Friday was no exception as I had the opportunity of meeting with Dr. Dawn Larson, Associate Professor of Theatre in the Department of Fine Arts at Francis Marion University in South Carolina. Dr. Larson was making a presentation on Theatre at the Museum of Theatre in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. She and a friend had decided to visit the Villages of Van Buren County while in Iowa for the weekend. They were thrilled to find an Opera House in Bonaparte and while enjoying the buildings in the historic Main Street community they learned of our Villages Folk School. Dr. Larson contacted me through our office at the Opera House and wanted to know more about our school.
After our discussion I wanted to learn more about what she does so I visited her presentation on Saturday in Mt Pleasant. It was a delightful experience! Many of the people there were in theatre and certainly all of them were advocates for the Theater Arts. Dr. Larson is interested in working with the Villages Folk School and plans are being made for offering weeklong classes in the theater arts. The classes will cover such topics as theater history, playwriting, acting, directing and even lighting. This will be a great opportunity for anyone considering a career in the theatre arts.
We are interested in hearing from anyone who would like to know more about the Villages Folk School. You can learn more by calling our office at 319-592-3700 anytime Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon to 4 p.m. You can also check our class schedule on our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com. Click the link to our Blog and get a close-up look at all our previous classes.
Life in the Villages of Van Buren County is a study in the folk and traditional arts. The many artists who have made their home here are evidence to the fact that “Living the Arts” is a day to day occurrence here in the lush Des Moines River valley. Just last Saturday while my wife and I drove through the county we commented on the changes in the countryside. Rolling hills that were covered so long in the winter blanket of snow are now a pallet of varying shades of green interlaced with fields freshly planted. The contrast between the greens and the rich black soil can only heighten the creative urge to paint such a beautiful landscape. One such artist is John Preston who teaches landscape painting for the Villages Folk School. His paintings are so real you can almost walk into them. What a gifted artist!! Here is a sample of some of his work that is entitled "Rogue Shower". Whether you are the painter or just a spectator, the feeling that this area inspires is truly magnificent.
Coming to our classes is so much more than just another class. It gets you out to experience this wonderful place we live in. From one end of the county to the other the scenes are forever changing. Taking the time to enjoy the trip is part of the experience we offer you with our Villages Folk School classrooms being spread throughout the villages.
Here are some of our coming classes:
April 29th & 30th: Printmaking
May 1: Raku Pottery, Still Life in Soft Pastels, Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits, and Story Telling For All Occasions.
May 1st & 2nd: Hand Piecing, Appliqué, & Quilting
May 8: Blacksmithing: Tong Making and Container Candles
May 22: Spring Bird Watching
Won’t you come enjoy “living the arts” at the Villages Folk School in Van Buren County, Iowa? It is truly a life changing experience!
Monday, April 19, 2010
"It's A Grand Night for Singing!"
Can you imagine an evening singing harmonies written in the 18th century? This will be a chance you won’t want to miss. Led by the group Prairie Harmony of southeast Iowa you will join in to sing the many anthems, fugues, and early American hymns written in the Sacred Harp. For anyone who likes to sing and can carry a tune it is a grand night for singing!
This event will be held in the historic Presbyterian Church in Bentonsport, Iowa on Tuesday, April 27th at 7:30 p.m. A small donation of $8 will be collected at the door to help with costs and to provide money for the restoration of the church. The acoustics in this building will provide an awesome sound stage for a delightful evening of shape note singing. Come join in the fun!! The larger the group the more incredible the experience will become. Have you ever sung harmony with an experienced group of singers? Don’t miss this opportunity!!
The Villages Folk School strives to offer a diversity of classes that will provide something for everyone. We are constantly looking for instructors who can provide exciting and challenging classes in the folk and traditional arts. Our classes are structured in such a way as to allow for hands-on instruction with a limited amount of students.
The month of May is full of classes for you to choose from. Here is the lineup:
May 1st Raku Pottery
Still Life in Soft Pastel
Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits
Story Telling for All Occasions
May 1st & 2nd Bonaparte Pottery Experience
Hand Piecing, Appliqué & Quilting
May 8th Blacksmithing: Tong Making
Container Candles
May 22nd Spring Bird Watching
Come enjoy one of the many classes as well as the beauty of the Villages of Van Buren County Iowa. You will be amazed at the shades of green and the brilliant colors of the spring flowers in the Des Moines River valley. There seems to be a different color around every corner and over every hill. Getting there is half the fun.
We want to share this experience of living the arts with each of you. Visit our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com to discover more of our classes and schedules. If you need further assistance, Gloria is in the office Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. She may be reached at 319-592-3700.
The Villages Folk School is your chance to fulfill your dream, experience the arts, and excite your creativity. Join us for an unforgettable experience!
The Villages Folk School strives to offer a diversity of classes that will provide something for everyone. We are constantly looking for instructors who can provide exciting and challenging classes in the folk and traditional arts. Our classes are structured in such a way as to allow for hands-on instruction with a limited amount of students.
The month of May is full of classes for you to choose from. Here is the lineup:
May 1st Raku Pottery
Still Life in Soft Pastel
Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits
Story Telling for All Occasions
May 1st & 2nd Bonaparte Pottery Experience
Hand Piecing, Appliqué & Quilting
May 8th Blacksmithing: Tong Making
Container Candles
May 22nd Spring Bird Watching
Come enjoy one of the many classes as well as the beauty of the Villages of Van Buren County Iowa. You will be amazed at the shades of green and the brilliant colors of the spring flowers in the Des Moines River valley. There seems to be a different color around every corner and over every hill. Getting there is half the fun.
We want to share this experience of living the arts with each of you. Visit our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com to discover more of our classes and schedules. If you need further assistance, Gloria is in the office Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. She may be reached at 319-592-3700.
The Villages Folk School is your chance to fulfill your dream, experience the arts, and excite your creativity. Join us for an unforgettable experience!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
"Preparation for an exciting group of classes"
The work continues at the Villages Folk School office to set everything in motion for the exciting group of classes planned for the end of April and the beginning of May. The varied classes will provide something that appeals to everyone. Here is the line-up for this month: On April 24th we offer a class in Melon Basket Weaving and a class in Organic Gardening. The gardening class will be the first of a series of three which will take you through the soil preparation, planting, weed and pest control, and finally putting the garden to rest at the end of the season. Our instructor is a certified organic gardener so you won’t want to miss this opportunity.
Tuesday, April 27th will be a thrill for anyone who likes to sing. A special evening has been planned at the Historic Presbyterian Church in Bentonsport. This evening will be led by the group Prairie Harmony of southeastern Iowa. You will be joining in with this group of instructors to share an evening of shape note singing. Sing early American hymns, anthems, and fugues. If you just want to come enjoy the sound in this beautiful acoustically designed building you are welcome to join us.
May 1st has an awesome agenda that promises to be a delightful weekend. You may enjoy classes in Raku Pottery, Hand Piecing, Appliqué, and Quilting, the Bonaparte Pottery Experience that will take you back to 1860’s as you discover 150 year old molds that were originally used in the old pottery building. Still Life in Soft Pastels, Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits, and Story Telling for all Occasions. These classes will be held in various locations around Van Buren County so be sure to check with the Villages Folk School office for times and locations. Gloria will be happy to assist you with your registration and any questions you might have regarding the classes. Our office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon until 4 p.m. You may call us at 319-592-3660. The website at www.villagesfolkschool.com will also provide you with class descriptions, bio’s so that you may learn more about our instructors and a complete listing of dates the various classes are offered. Don’t forget to check out our Blog! Here is a complete photo slideshow that will give you a better understanding of the quality, hands-on atmosphere in our many classes. Simply click on the link at the bottom of our web page.
We are always looking for new instructors who want to share their artist skills with others. Please contact our office for an interview.
Future planning in the works for 2011: Join us on September 23-25, 2011 for the Villages Folk School Writer’s Conference featuring some of the top authors, agents and editors in their field! Watch our website for more details.
The Villages Folk School is here to offer each of you an opportunity to share in a folk or traditional art form that takes you back to earlier times. Our classes are designed so that you may experience firsthand the many time honored professions of our forefathers. You may spend the day enjoying the peaceful surroundings of our many classrooms throughout the county or taking a needed break from you busy life to just enjoy something for yourself. Whatever it is, we invite you to share these moments with us here at the folk school. Pick a class in something you have always wanted to do, register online at our website or call the Villages Folk School office at 319-592-3660.
This time why not make it all about you! Enjoy the experience of Living the Arts at the Villages Folk School. You’ll be glad you did!
Tuesday, April 27th will be a thrill for anyone who likes to sing. A special evening has been planned at the Historic Presbyterian Church in Bentonsport. This evening will be led by the group Prairie Harmony of southeastern Iowa. You will be joining in with this group of instructors to share an evening of shape note singing. Sing early American hymns, anthems, and fugues. If you just want to come enjoy the sound in this beautiful acoustically designed building you are welcome to join us.
May 1st has an awesome agenda that promises to be a delightful weekend. You may enjoy classes in Raku Pottery, Hand Piecing, Appliqué, and Quilting, the Bonaparte Pottery Experience that will take you back to 1860’s as you discover 150 year old molds that were originally used in the old pottery building. Still Life in Soft Pastels, Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits, and Story Telling for all Occasions. These classes will be held in various locations around Van Buren County so be sure to check with the Villages Folk School office for times and locations. Gloria will be happy to assist you with your registration and any questions you might have regarding the classes. Our office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon until 4 p.m. You may call us at 319-592-3660. The website at www.villagesfolkschool.com will also provide you with class descriptions, bio’s so that you may learn more about our instructors and a complete listing of dates the various classes are offered. Don’t forget to check out our Blog! Here is a complete photo slideshow that will give you a better understanding of the quality, hands-on atmosphere in our many classes. Simply click on the link at the bottom of our web page.
We are always looking for new instructors who want to share their artist skills with others. Please contact our office for an interview.
Future planning in the works for 2011: Join us on September 23-25, 2011 for the Villages Folk School Writer’s Conference featuring some of the top authors, agents and editors in their field! Watch our website for more details.
The Villages Folk School is here to offer each of you an opportunity to share in a folk or traditional art form that takes you back to earlier times. Our classes are designed so that you may experience firsthand the many time honored professions of our forefathers. You may spend the day enjoying the peaceful surroundings of our many classrooms throughout the county or taking a needed break from you busy life to just enjoy something for yourself. Whatever it is, we invite you to share these moments with us here at the folk school. Pick a class in something you have always wanted to do, register online at our website or call the Villages Folk School office at 319-592-3660.
This time why not make it all about you! Enjoy the experience of Living the Arts at the Villages Folk School. You’ll be glad you did!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Blacksmithing: Toolmaking Classes at Iron & Lace
This weekend I found myself once again on the road to Bentonsport, but this time my destination was Bill Printy’s Iron & Lace Blacksmith shop. He had a full class scheduled for the weekend. This class included the principles of hardening iron using the “Oxidation Spectrum” as they forged such tools as center punches, chisels, and gouges. Each of the students would learn to recognize the tempering of their particular project by watching the color changes when the heat was applied. I found myself mesmerized by the process as each student turned their attention to the forge and began to pound out the iron against the anvil. A process as old as time and it just took you back to earlier times when most all of the iron work was done in this manor.
Bill and his assistant Mark Heisdorffer worked from forge to forge to give each of the students the benefit of their expertise. A two to one ration of student to instructor offered each person the benefit of a readily available instructor. Students at our Villages Folk School classes have often commented on the fact that they appreciated the amount of time they had with their instructor. This has a very positive affect on the project outcome and the value added in the learning process.
Students continued to work their projects until 5 p.m. on Saturday and some returned Sunday to use what they had learned. The class tuition allows for the second day at the forge, but without instruction. Bill offers classes not only in tool making, but in beginning blacksmithing, tong making, and forge welding.
Bill, who began his blacksmithing as a hobby in the early seventies has perfected his trade to a fine art. The work that he turns out is incredible! It is worth the trip just to see some of his projects that range from your basic pot racks to wine racks covered in green leaves and laden with clumps of purple grapes. I saw a rose on a long stem that looked so real I just had to ask how it was done. Bill simply smiled and said, “I took a rose apart one petal at a time, manufactured each piece from the live template and just put it back together.” His methodical approach to his iron work has resulted in a level of craftsmanship that is truly a rare art form.
I encourage each one reading this article that has ever had the desire to work the forge to register for one of the classes offered through the Villages Folk School and get ready for a great weekend!
The class schedules can be found at our website which is www.villagesfolkschool.com or you can contact our office anytime Tuesday through Friday, 12 – 4 p.m. at 319-592-3700. Registration can be done by downloading the form from the website or calling our office.
Pick something you have always wanted to do, register for the class, and come join us at the Villages Folk School. Find the artist living within you!
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