Patrick McIvor
Patrick McIvor
Patrick McIvor, owner of the Dancing Scot Forge, is a traditional blacksmith trained in Europe, who resides in Falkland, BC. He creates original artistic and architectural metal work and is committed to sharing his passion for the craft with others – teaching the art of blacksmithing to classes of all ages. Patrick has won awards and competitions in Canada and Europe for his inspiring work, which can now be found in private homes and public spaces around the globe…
Patrick McIvor
Patrick McIvor, owner of the Dancing Scot Forge, is a traditional blacksmith trained in Europe, who resides in Falkland, BC. He creates original artistic and architectural metal work and is committed to sharing his passion for the craft with others – teaching the art of blacksmithing to classes of all ages. Patrick has won awards and competitions in Canada and Europe for his inspiring work, which can now be found in private homes and public spaces around the globe.
Growing up on a farm in Alberta, I was very creative and enjoyed working with my hands. The art of blacksmithing has always intrigued me. My first opportunity to try blacksmithing came in high school, using the school’s shop space. In 1997, the Kootenay Blacksmith Association, then in its infancy, called out to like-minded people to come and learn/share their blacksmith knowledge. It was there that the art and craft of blacksmithing came alive for me. For the next 8 years I practiced blacksmith techniques on my own and by observing other blacksmiths in the trade. I augmented this by studying publications on the different aspects of metal crafts. During this time, I took private commissions and competed at the Calgary Stampede World Blacksmithing Championships Creative Class, where I received judges and peoples’ awards. I was inspired to seek more knowledge and my work became more intricate and evolved technically.
In 2006, I made the decision to invest in my professional development. For the next two years, I traveled throughout Europe, working with master blacksmiths who taught me more about traditional forging techniques and the ancient artistry of the blacksmith craft. My travels took me throughout Europe where I studied, competed, and took part in blacksmith events in Austria, Germany, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Italy, to name a few.