Everybody dies, but when some people die they leave
a hole in the world.
a hole in the world.
I met Doug at my first BAM meeting, sometime in the
early 80's. I have never been the sort of person who
just joins a bunch of things, and when I went with Steve
Austin to Bob Patrick's old shop in Bethel I was hopeful,
but skeptical. The agenda for the day was a bench we
were to sell to raise a little money for the association.
I was working with Doug, who I think must have latched
on to me for my obvious newness, at a hand-crank forge
in the back portion of the shop, and there was a weld to
be made. Doug decided I could do it, though he had no
reason to think so. I had never even seen it done, let
alone done it myself. With the work in the forge, Doug
shaped the fire while I cranked to his orders: "Warp
speed, Scottie!" But no matter how hard or how gently
I cranked, we couldn't get heat. Doug was in with the
poker, looking for an offending clinker, and raked the
bottom right out of the old, cracked firepot, which Bob
had patched with clay to get us through the day.
Needless to say, we didn't get much work done.
Needless to say, I went ahead and joined the organization.
early 80's. I have never been the sort of person who
just joins a bunch of things, and when I went with Steve
Austin to Bob Patrick's old shop in Bethel I was hopeful,
but skeptical. The agenda for the day was a bench we
were to sell to raise a little money for the association.
I was working with Doug, who I think must have latched
on to me for my obvious newness, at a hand-crank forge
in the back portion of the shop, and there was a weld to
be made. Doug decided I could do it, though he had no
reason to think so. I had never even seen it done, let
alone done it myself. With the work in the forge, Doug
shaped the fire while I cranked to his orders: "Warp
speed, Scottie!" But no matter how hard or how gently
I cranked, we couldn't get heat. Doug was in with the
poker, looking for an offending clinker, and raked the
bottom right out of the old, cracked firepot, which Bob
had patched with clay to get us through the day.
Needless to say, we didn't get much work done.
Needless to say, I went ahead and joined the organization.
Doug was a man with no governor on his mouth. If he
thought it, he said it. The generosity that made him
trust a raw beginner with a difficult part of the job was
coupled to a wit that could be vicious in the criticism of
the pretentious, the insincere, the imitative. If that was
the side of him you happened to see first, it could take
a while to see that if he gave you grief it was a compliment:
it meant he knew you could do better.
thought it, he said it. The generosity that made him
trust a raw beginner with a difficult part of the job was
coupled to a wit that could be vicious in the criticism of
the pretentious, the insincere, the imitative. If that was
the side of him you happened to see first, it could take
a while to see that if he gave you grief it was a compliment:
it meant he knew you could do better.
While he was passionate about art ("There's art, and
there's everything else"), a piece of work didn't have to be
Art for him to value it. The important thing was not
whether it was a sculpture or a knife or a horseshoe,
but whether it was honest, appropriate, well made,
and above all, your own.
there's everything else"), a piece of work didn't have to be
Art for him to value it. The important thing was not
whether it was a sculpture or a knife or a horseshoe,
but whether it was honest, appropriate, well made,
and above all, your own.
It also needs to be said that Doug didn't exist, and
probably couldn't have, without Bonnie, who for the
last yay-many years has held down the job of Center
of the Universe. Their ability to make very smart
long term decisions together, culminating in their
amazing handling of Doug's illness and its challenges,
has been as much an inspiration to me as Doug's teaching.
probably couldn't have, without Bonnie, who for the
last yay-many years has held down the job of Center
of the Universe. Their ability to make very smart
long term decisions together, culminating in their
amazing handling of Doug's illness and its challenges,
has been as much an inspiration to me as Doug's teaching.
Doug was more responsible than any other individual
for making me a blacksmith, and the one who gave me
permission to be an artist. Every time I bring something
out of the fire I will look into the new hole in the world,
and see if I don't find something there to bring to the anvil.
for making me a blacksmith, and the one who gave me
permission to be an artist. Every time I bring something
out of the fire I will look into the new hole in the world,
and see if I don't find something there to bring to the anvil.
See ya soon, Bonnie. Doug, see ya when I see ya.
