Blacksmither Radio

Denise Axelsen is an award-winning blacksmith.  Educated in England, she now enjoys living in Newry, Victoria Australia.  With over a decade of experience forging metal, Denise makes small functional and custom pieces as well as stunning sculptural works.  What We Talked About Denise went to university in the UK for three-dimensional design after a 25-year career as a nurse. In her second year at university, she took a forging class, was very drawn to the craft and decided that was what she wanted to do. It took her another five years to convince the Rural Development Commission to let her in on the New Entrants Training Scheme in pure forge work. After taking a few courses at the Hereford School of art with Adrian Legge, taking as many BABA workshops as possible and giving up her nursing career she finally qualified into the Scheme in 2003.  The Training Scheme was a UK government funded scheme aimed at 16 to 25-year old’s to become apprentice blacksmiths for 12 weeks over a course of 2 years.   Denise mo