Education :
Ontario College of Art, Toronto: 1975 - 79
General Studies program, with emphasis in technical media.
Arts Experience:
* Body of related work extends back to the late 1970's
* A professional artisan blacksmith since the mid 1980's
* Established The Wareham Forge as a full time operation in 1992.
* More details via the web site : http://www.warehamforge.ca
* Started work in experimental iron smelting in 2001. Overview on line at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/smelt/index.html
Academic Papers :
"Working towards an Icelandic Viking Age Smelt, Based on the remains
at Hals"
Prepared with the assistance of Kevin Smith & Neil Peterson
A draft field report, published on line October 2008.
Available at: http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/HALS/index.html
"Adventures in Early Iron Production : An overview of experimental iron
smelts, 2001 - 2005"
Delivered at 'Friends of the Medieval Studies Society of the Royal Ontario Museum,
1st Annual Symposium' Toronto, March 2006
On line version available at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ROMiron/index.html
"the Viking Encampment at L'Anse aux Meadows NHS : Presenting the Past"
Delivered at the 'Viking Millennium International Symposium' Newfoundland, September
2000
Published in 'Vinland Revisited', S. Lewis-Simpson editor, Historic Sites Association
of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2000
"Lessons from the Viking Age - Development of an Interpretive Program
for L'Anse aux Meadows NHS"
Delivered at 'A Day in the Life.. Living History of the Everyday', ALHFAM 1998
Conference, University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON, June 1998.
Published in "ALHFAM Proceedings - 1998", C. Jones editor, The Association
for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums
On line version available at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ENCAMPMENT/neleson1.html
"Recreating the Viking Age - the Viking Encampment at L'Anse aux
Meadows"
Delivered at the 33rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan
University, Kalamazoo MI, May 1998.
"Working in the Middle Ages - Historical Re-creation and Experimental
Archaeology in the Society for Creative Anachronism"
Delivered at 'The Middle Ages in Contemporary Culture', McMaster University,
Hamilton ON March 1996.
Iron Smelting Publications:
"Experimental Iron Smelting from the Viking Age"
(CD-ROM)
The Wareham Forge, Ontario, original 2004, revised 2006, ISBN 978.978384.3.6
Some details available on line : http://www.warehamforge.ca/TRAINING/ironsmelt.html
"Experimental Iron Smelting" (web site)
The Wareham Forge, Ontario (http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting) Ongoing
since January 2006
"Hammered out Bits" (blog)
The Wareham Forge, Ontario (http://warehamforgeblog.blogspot.com) ongoing since
March 2006
Iron Smelting Workshops / Symposiums:
'Quad State Roundup' (Southern Ohio Forge & Anvil), Troy
Ohio, September 26 & 27, 2008
Featured Demonstrator for this regional Blacksmith's Conference, demonstrating
building and firing of a 'Norse Short Shaft' iron smelting furnace to over 800
participants.
Overview on line at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/QuadState08/index.html
'Iron Smelting in Thy', Heltborg Museum, Denmark, April 29
- May 5, 2008
A gathering of 30 archaeologists, researchers and experimenters focusing on
historic iron smelting technologies in Northern Europe from the Iron Age through
to the Early Medieval period. Darrell was the only Canadian invited to, and
the only North American attending, this working symposium.
Overview on line at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/HELTBORG/index.html
'Early Iron' Symposium, Peters Valley NJ, October 2006, Cooperstown
NY, October 2004 & 2005
Featured demonstrator (2004) and workshop team leader (2005 & 2006).
Overviews on line :
2006 : http://ca.geocities.com/earlyirongroup/earlyiron3/index.html
2005 : http://ca.geocities.com/earlyirongroup/earlyiron2/index.html
2004 : http://ca.geocities.com/earlyirongroup/earlyiron1/index.html
'Smeltfest', Lexington VA, February 2005, 2006, 2008
Participant in this annual 10 day intensive research session.
Overviews on line :
2008 : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/smeltfest08/report03-08.html
2006 : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/smeltfest06/report03-06.html
'Folly in the Forge' (Michigan Artist Blacksmiths), Traverse
City MI, February 2006
Featured Demonstrator
Overview on line at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/report02-06.html
CANIRON 4 (Canadian National Artisan Blacksmith's Conference),
Annapolis Royal NS, August 2005
Featured demonstrator : 'Viking Age Iron Smelting', a two day long presentation,
plus lecture.
Overview on line at : http://www.darkcompany.ca/iron0905/index.php?submenu=I
Ontario Artisan Blacksmiths, Wareham ON, June 2005
Featured Demonstrator
'Iron Processing at L'Anse aux Meadows' (Parks Canada), L'Anse
aux Meadows NF, June 2001
Team participant in this week long examination of history and process at the
Viking Age site.
Related Major Projects :
'The Norse / Viking Encampment', L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC, Newfoundland
January 1993 - present
Design, creation, training and implementation.
The regular seasonal program now in place at L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC was implemented
under contract to Parks Canada in 1997. The presentation utilizes a team of
six living history interpreters with a supporting collection of about 250 plus
replicas. The consulting relationship with Parks Canada and this program continues
to the present day.
Documentation on line at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/ENCAMPMENT
'The World of the Norse', Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield
Hills MI, September 2003 - January 2004
Design, creation, training and implementation.
'World of the Norse' was a 1000 sq foot, stand alone exhibit created to accompany
the traveling exhibit 'Full Circle - First Contact'. The display consisted of
about 175 replica objects grouped to three theme settings.
Documentation on line at : http://home.golden.net/~wareham/worldnorse
'Interpreting the Viking Age' , College of the North Atlantic,
St. Anthony NFLD May - June 2000
'Interpreting the Viking Age' was a six week long intensive program for 40 adult
students. Some 230 class room hours of lectures were delivered, all set a community
college level The course was backed up by a roughly 225 page training manual.
'Vikings - North Atlantic Saga', Smithsonian Institution (National
Museum of Natural History), Washington, DC from Winter 1998 through August 2002
A major international travelling exhibit mounted to mark the Viking Millennium
in 2000 As well as being part of the initial design team for the exhibit, replica
objects were created, and staff training was supplied, for the following institutions:
* Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver CO - December 2000- February 2002
* Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull PQ - May - August 2002
'Full Circle - First Contact', Newfoundland Museum, St. Johns,
NF, original exhibit work - Fall 1999
A special travelling exhibit created by the Newfoundland Museum to mark the
1000 years since the Norse arrived in Canada. As well as being part of the initial
design team for educational aspects of the exhibit, replica objects were created
and staff training was supplied for the following:
* Woodstock Museum, ON - Fall 2000
* New Icelandic Heritage Museum, Gimli MN - June 2003
Recurring Shows / Teaching:
'Earth, Air Celtic Festival' Goderich ON, August each year
Presented work and a featured demonstrator (blacksmithing / bronze casting)
every year since 1992
'Summerfolk', Owen Sound ON, August each year
Presented work every year since 1992'The Celtic College' Goderich ON, August
each year
Teach classes in blacksmithing / metal casting at this week long session every
year (since 1995 ?)
The Wareham Forge, Wareham ON, since 1992
Weekend workshops, from 4 - 8 per year (offered programs vary yearly):
Basic Blacksmithing, Intermediate Blacksmithing, Basic Bladesmithing, Introduction
to Layered Steels, Introduction to Iron Smelting, Basics of Casting Metals
Educational DVD Programs:
Published by the Wareham Forge, Wareham ON
Introduction to Blacksmithing, 1994, ISBN 978.0.9783284.0.5
Historic Bladesmithing, 1996, ISBN 978-0-9783284-1-2
Forging the Viking Age, 1997, ISBN 978-0-9783284-2-9
Experimental Iron Smelting from the Viking Age, 2004, ISBN 978.978384.3.6
Exploring the Viking Age in Denmark, 2008, ISBN 978.978384.4.3
Details available on line starting at : http://www.warehamforge.ca/video.html
Participating Art Exhibits (Included
for Canada Council Grant)
'Grave Goods', Woodstock Museum, Woodstock ON, September -
October 2008
Curated this gallery exhibit of 30 Ontario artisans, created online catalogue
(http://www.warehamforge.ca/gravegoods), contributed a number of pieces
'Out of the Fiery Furnace', Woodstock Museum, Woodstock ON,
September - October 2005
Curated this gallery exhibit of 25 Ontario artisans, created online catalogue
(http://www.warehamforge.ca/furnace), contributed a number of pieces
'Tradition and Innovation', The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay ON,
February 2003
Assisted in setting the show, created online catalogue (http://home.golden.net/~wareham/tradition/index.html
), contributed a number of pieces
'Reflections of the Conquest', Woodstock Museum, Woodstock ON, February
- March 2002
Curated this gallery exhibit of 22 Ontario artisans, created online catalogue
(http://ca.geocities.com/androicheadbridge/bayeux.html), contributed a number
of pieces
'Contemporary Celtic: Art At Comhaltas', The North American
Conference of Ceoltoiri Eireann Comhaltas, Toronto ON, April 2001
Assisted in setting the show, contributed a number of pieces.
Overview on line at : http://ca.geocities.com/bridgeandroichead/
'Celebrating Contemporary Celtic Art', The Lindsay Gallery,
Lindsay ON, March - April, 2001
Assisted in setting the show, contributed a number of pieces
'A Celtic Renaissance : Contemporary Art in Ontario and Brittany'
Guelph ON, January - May, 1999
Contributed a number of pieces