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Dragonfly Enterprises |
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Biography |
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Mr. McDaniel began his journey into sculpture by learning to shape hot metals with a hammer and anvil.
He began his experience in blacksmithing with a class from an 81-year-old blacksmith in 1972. That was the spark that ignited his passion for forging hot metal. Randy also learned from other “retired” smiths, researching the craft in libraries, by taking craft schools classes from various skilled smiths such as Frank Turley, Francis Whitaker and Ivan Bailey, and by participating in blacksmithing conferences. Mr. McDaniel traveled to England in 1987 to participate in the British Artist Blacksmith Association’s International Conference in Hereford and to study ironwork in London. In 1988 Randy was baptized as a smith by Manfred Bredhol from Aachen, Germany.
Originally specializing in Colonial reproduction ironwork taught him the basics of forging hot metal. Randy’s blacksmithing experience now includes a wide diversity of works that runs the gamut from designing and producing personal and whimsical items from business card holders and furniture to large-scale lighting, gates, grilles, fountains and sculptural pieces. His design and forging of the artwork for the new Children’s Garden entrance arbor at Hershey Gardens is an excellent example of his art and whimsy. Besides forging steel he enjoys working in copper, bronze and titanium.
Over the past 30 years Randy’s metalwork has been shown at National juried craft and art shows and then in art galleries such as the Pendragon Gallery in Annapolis, MD, Eisonwerks in Manayunk, PA, and more recently at Gallery 20 in West Reading, PA. He has received many "best in show" awards, and has been highlighted in articles in books, magazines, newspapers, and television shows. He is most recently featured in the book, “Lives Shaped by Steel” by Nancy B. Zastrow.
Mr. McDaniel has also gained recognition and acclaim for writing and illustrating “A Blacksmithing Primer, A Course In Basic And Intermediate Blacksmithing”. Originally self-published, due to its’ success is now being published as a second edition by Finney Books. Blacksmiths, blacksmithing groups and even schools around the world are using this book to teach basic to intermediate forging. This book has also been professionally filmed as a 6 hour video/DVD with Randy’s instruction and demonstration. Besides his book he has written articles for “Fabricator Magazine” on operating a business and the virtues of laser cutting. “The Anvils’ Ring” has featured Randy and his works many times over the years. Randy has taught basic and advanced workshops for more than twenty years. These include workshops at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Penland School of Crafts, J.C. Campbell Craft School, Appalachian Center for Crafts, New England School of Metalwork, Peters Valley Craft School and for many regional blacksmithing groups from coast to coast. Randy was also a lecturer and demonstrator for the Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America’s International Conference at Alfred, New York in 1990 and at LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 2002. Randy is a member of ABANA-Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America, PABA-Pennsylvania Artist Blacksmith Association, MASA-Mid-Atlantic Smiths Association and a life time member of BGCM-Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland. He is also a member of the Berks Arts Council. In the Winter of 2005 he was mentored by a 74 year old sculptor who has taught Randy the intricacies of producing sounding sculptures from bronze, brass, steel and beryllium copper. He is excited about adding his own skills and imagination to this historical art form. He was accepted to the prestigious Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings Show 2006, which became his first public showing of his new line of works. In May of 2008, two of Mr. McDaniel’s works were accepted into the juried National exhibition, Re.action, at the Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland. Annmarie Garden’s is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Guest juror of the Re.action exhibition, Mark Ward, deputy director of the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, “was also present at the opening Gala to mingle with guests and announce the award recipients for the exhibition. Randy McDaniel of Reading, PA received Honorable Mention for his musical metal sculpture, The Choir. These pieces were chosen for their effective portrayal of movement in artwork.”
“Creating works in metal is a way for me to express a three-dimensional feeling of motion, life and fun. Now I am able to add sound as another aspect of life which produces an interaction between the work and the participant. My whimsical designs perpetuate a lighter heart for all; for myself while creating and for the client over the years.”
Randy is married and has two children and three grandchildren. |
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Randy McDaniel Artist, Author, Instructor in Forged, Lasered & Fabricated Metals |
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Dragonfly Enterprises 3283 State Hill Road Reading, PA 19608
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In Loving Memory of Our Miniature Schnauzer Who Died June 18, 2008 He Is Painfully Missed. |
