Darrell Markewitz has experience working with forged metals extending back to the late 1970's. Four years at Ontario College of Art has given him an grounding of both modern design and contemporary craft. His personal work is strongly influenced by both Norse and Celtic artifacts, and the sinuous curves of the Art Nouveau movement.  Each object is distinctive, the bold possibilities of hot forging used to create original art works.

From the first, objects created by Darrell Markewitz have always had a strong dimension of design, even with functional objects like railings. Increasingly into his fourth decade as an artisan blacksmith, 'form' has come to dominate over 'function'

His signature 'Rivendale' style is strongly based on ancient European decorative objects, work from the Art Nouveau period, and organic shapes and lines from nature. Many pieces start with structural materials, aggressively re-forged and combined with natural stone.

Darrell is one of the founding members of the 'Early Iron' movement in North America, helping to recover totally lost techniques for bloomery iron smelting (literally turning dirt into metal). His continuing exploration of bloomery iron as an artistic material is absolutely unique in Canada.