Becky Little - Artist Blacksmith at Dragonfly Forge

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     What I find most exhilarating about forge work is the physical act of creating brand new forms out of just steel and fire and energy. Forging is dirty, hot, physically demanding work, but being able to finish each day having created something real with my own hands has a satisfaction all it's own. The strength and toughness of iron, the challenge of manipulating it with speed and accuracy at high heats, and the tools and techniques necessary to transform the material, all fascinate me. I strive to create pieces that play with contrasts and possibilities, that evoke the movement of wind or the growth of plants while in their essence remain cold hard iron. I love making functional art as well as sculpture, jewelry and architectural work, and I believe it adds much to our lives to surround ourselves with creations that contain in them the energy and emotions of the artisan.
     My apprenticeship began in 2002 with three years in the workshop of my father, John Little of East Dover Ironworks. My education continued with a year of working and studying in Germany with Master Smiths Paul and Heiner Zimmerman and then Oskar Hafen. When I returned to Canada I completed commissions through my father's workshop where I was designing, forging and creating my own sculptural and decorative work. For three years I worked for Jerry Levy of Practical Blacksmithing, improving my problem-solving and fabrication skills with a variety of work both decorative and functional. After a hiatus to recover from a back injury I am finally creating again in my own studio, Dragonfly Forge, at our home in Blind Bay, where I can take inspiration from the surrounding rivers, lakes and wildlife. 

     EDUCATION
  • Informal apprenticeships with John Little, Paul Zimmermann and Oskar Hafen, 4 years.
  • Two years of a BA in philosophy at King's College and Dalhousie 1999-2002
  • Honours graduate from Sir John A MacDonald 1997

EXHIBITIONS
  • 2007  "John and Becky Little Iron Sculpture Exhibition" Marigold Cultural Centre Gallery, Truro, February 2nd - April 4th. Winged Candle holders, Sundogs, Wind Mobile.
  • 2006  "Bloom: Forged with Fire and Force" Lynn Tendler Bignell Gallery, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, Connecticut. June 18th - August 6th. Flower in Vase.
  • 2005  "Take another Heat" Mary Black Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia Nov 4th - December 18th. Candellabra, Mobile Sculpture.
  • 2005  "Take another Heat" ArtsPlace, Annapolis Royal, part of CanIron V international Blacksmithing Conference August 30-September 2, 2005: Candellabra, Mobile Sculpture.
  • 2004  "Bho'n Teallach" Maritime Blacksmith Association Exhibition, Dartmouth, Nova  Scotia. June 30th - July 31 Firetools, Large Pendant, Nail Necklace.
  • 2004   "Ancient History" Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia: Ancient Moon Eclipsed, and Earliest Nails.

MEDIA
  • NEW Featured in the 2012 Spring edition of the Anvil's Ring Magazine
  • NEW March 9 2012 interview with Carmen Klassen on CBC One "Close to Home"
  • NEW March 10 2012 group interview for Sisters of Steel on "Information Morning" with Louise Renault
  • December 2011 mention in Canadian Geographic article "Blacksmith's Back"
  • November 2011 CBC interview with Colleen Jones on CBC News television and Information Morning radio
  • 2005 Anvils' Ring Magazine fall issue


DEMONSTRATIONS
  • Advertised demonstrator for July 2012 ABANA South Dakota conference.
  • 2012 Demonstrator alongside Barb Schmeisser and Alexa Jaffurs at Sisters in Steel in Annapolis Royal
  • 2007 Featured demonstator along side Dorothy Stiegler and Nick Vincent at the Blacksmithing Guild of Central Maryland's Annual Blacksmith Days. Demonstrated powerhammer tooling, mobiles and forging details.
  • 2005 co-demonstrator of blacksmithing and design with John Little for international festival CanIRonV in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.
  • 2004 Demonstrated the use of the Phoenix airhammer for promotional video in North Carolina.

ASSOCIATIONS