Shedalow Ironworks

In Silver City, New Mexico, Paul Meyers has achieved something that most artists only dream about: He makes a living, doing what he loves. Paul has been a draftsman, block painter, graffiti artist, and woodworker, but metalsmithing is his passion. After completing a four-year apprenticeship and experiencing some business challenges, he has regrouped and is now preparing to launch Shedalow Ironworks. 

“Blacksmithing is a unique trade that threatens to be forgotten,” Paul says. “I have been hand-forging metal for 15 years now, and I am still in the honeymoon stage, in awe of the possibilities of my craft.” Right now, Paul works out a converted barn, using tools that are in some cases generations old. He hopes to expand slowly and meaningfully, but the one new tool he needs now is a plasma cutter. The device, which cuts steel, would make quick work of one of the most time-consuming aspects of his job. With it, he’ll be able to focus on his art and the Grant County Art Guild where he shows his work in collaboration with the local artist community. 

Art-making can be inspiring, generative, and, yes, sometimes dangerous. Cutting steel to do it doesn’t have to be!