The Poplar Bluff Municipal Library is displaying the works of two artists whose lives revolve around fire: potter Cindy Martin and bladesmith Clayton “Clay” Martin. What makes the Forged & Fired exhibit even more interesting is that these artists are mother and son.
“We’ve not had a previous exhibit like this featuring family members. We had the unique opportunity to put on display local artists who’ve had quite a bit of success,” said Director Shannon Midyett.
Cindy Martin is an award-winning professional potter of 47 years, and a participant in statewide art shows. Clay Martin is a rising star in the bladesmithing world specializing in chef’s knives and hunting knives. He was also featured on season 8 of the History Channel show “Forged in Fire.”
Cindy Martin described seeing her son succeed in his own art form as “fantastic.” The Michigan native moved to the Ozarks after a year at a pottery studio in England. Her son was born and raised in Carter County, and she still lives in the area to this day.
The Ozarks' flora and fauna inspire both Cindy Martin’s subjects and style. Many of her works feature birds, butterflies, frogs and cats, but the connection extends to her artistic process itself as well. Horsehair pottery is created by draping hairs from a horse’s mane or other organic materials over hot clay, leaving trails of carbon across its surface.
“I’ve had horses for years...So that’s why that originally appealed to me,” she said.
She also practices raku pottery, transferring pieces from the 1,400-degree kiln into a reduction chamber, which can be as simple as a metal trash can, lined with combustible material. The outer glaze “crazes,” or cracks.
“Carbon from all that burning materials will force its way into the places where the glaze crazed, and it will turn everything jet black,” she explained. This leaves a stark crackled effect but allows the pot’s colors to show through.
Clay Martin grew up surrounded by art and fire.
“Art was just always around me when I was a kid. I had been drawing and painting since I was like, old enough to hold a paintbrush... It made it (fire) a lot less intimidating, seeing my mom holding these glowing red pots,” he recalled.
The Van Buren-based bladesmith has a variety of knives on display at the library and even a sword he made on his 21st birthday. His self-taught curriculum began at age 15 when he decided to make a throwing knife.
“I wanted a throwing knife. So I looked up on YouTube how to make a throwing knife and I saw people grinding them out of steel bars, and I tried that. And then eventually I ended up making my own forge and just it went from there,” he said.
He later studied under master bladesmiths in Texarkana and refined his work into what it is today. Many of his knives are Damascus steel, a rippling pattern created by repeatedly fusing and stretching different steels.
“Some patterns only have hundreds of layers while more complex mosaic patterns will have several thousand. Sometimes I have 20-plus hours in a project and it’s still just a block of steel. Then comes forging the blade,” he said.
The forging is done with a 22-ton hydraulic press as well as a hammer and anvil. Before the blade is done it will be shaped, ground down, hardened and sharpened to a finish. It is hot and hard work — Clay Martin’s forge is 20-30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature.
“I think most people don’t realize how physical it is because it seems like a lot of grinding sometimes but even just being out there and moving stuff around can get real hot,” he noted, “and then obviously like the forging is very, very intense.”
The motivation behind his knives is a love of “functional art.”
“Seeing them used...makes it feel more real than just something that’s going to be on a shelf or behind a glass case,” he explained.
Forged & Fired will remain on display at the library through the end of September.
Cindy Martin’s gallery and shop can be found online at cmartinclay.com or on social media by searching Aldrich Valley Pottery. She can be reached at avppots@gmail.com.
Clay Martin’s work is available on Facebook and Instagram at CM Knives, and custom orders are available through private messages or by emailing cmknives00@gmail.com.