AnemoneArts is owned and operated by me, Caroline Sumpter. A metalsmith, I design and fabricate sculptural elements for gardens, home interiors, walls and jewelry. Carbon steel - mild steel, weldable steel is my metal of choice. Allowing it to rust, then to add paint, to me is when a piece becomes unique. I find working with metal to be a captivating process. Taking a cold, flat, hard piece of steel, working it through various stages of cutting, bending, hammering, soldering/welding, cleaning and polishing to a completed work is one of the most gratifying things I could do.

I work most of the steel with my own hands using jigs and vise to bend, and then I use the hammer and anvil to refine the curves and shapes. I will use a forge to heat the steel when I want or need to for more intense bends and intricate scroll work. I use a MIG welder to piece it all together. Once a piece is welded together I set it outside, let the Pacific Northwest weather do its thing, and allow the rust to develop. From this point, though the piece is done, it continues to change reacting with elements in the environment creating rust, tarnish, corrosion... oxidation. I am intrigued by this. I choose to work with this process rather than fight it, adding pigment, and sometimes beeswax, to bring out the subtle beauty of the aging patina.

Always making things and working with my hands...I began making jewelry with silver wire and beads over 20 years ago, which gradually led me to learn about fabricating sterling silver jewelry. This eventually led me to mild steel, bigger pieces, welding and blacksmithing. I continue to practice metalsmithing taking workshops and attending conferences.

I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, north of Seattle. I have a work space on our place here in Arlington, Washington, USA in the old separate garage of our small 1926 home. I share the space with my artist husband, and two creative sons. More often than not one of our two cats will come in and visit, as well as our border collie, until the sparks fly or the hammer blows. My favorite time to work is the mornings. The large door is always open when I work, on sunny days the morning sun streams in illuminating the steam wafting off of my morning coffee while casting warm, beautiful light on my work table and anvil.

Some of my favorite things besides working with metal are tending to my flower beds, vegetable garden, and chickens, as well as getting out in the wilderness hiking and mountain biking.