This website is dedicated in memoriam to Denys Mitchell, my father. He was active as an artist blacksmith in Kelso, Scotland, circa. 1974 to 2007. This 'About 'page is intended to give some information about his blacksmithing career, told from a daughter's perspective.
Denys Mitchell, b. 1939 Aberdeenshire, d. 2015, Kelso, Scottish Borders
My father discovered blacksmithing in his 30’s, while working as an Electrician’s mate in Pembrokeshire, Wales in the early 1970’s. He had always been creative but had long been searching for the medium which was to suit him best. He had previously tried painting and pottery (he and my mother, Audrey, actually met at a pottery class in Aberdeen) but had yet to find his passion. My mum remembered the night he came home from his first metalwork evening class buzzing with enthusiasm – “I’ve found it!”
He attended West Dean College, Sussex and Camberwell School of Art in London for short blacksmithing courses, but was largely self-taught. In 1973 my parents left Wales to return to Aberdeenshire. They stopped overnight in Kelso on route and found a large house for sale which had historically belonged to the headmaster of the Ragged School. This house also came with the Ragged School (a low, stone-built structure). The property needed a lot of work but it captured my parent’s imagination and they bought it.
The Ragged School became my father’s workshop (smiddy), although it took many years for his business to make a steady income. Commissions were sporadic and economically sensitive; people will not order non-essential items during a downturn. My mother returned to work full-time during those years, to keep the bills paid and food on the table, while continuing to be my father’s business administrator.
As I grew up, I was used to coming home from school and popping in to the workshop to see what he had been working on. I always marvelled at his inexhaustible talent. He would forge during the day and sketch new designs at night. Any paper lying round the house would be sketched on, even the cover of the phone book.
In 1977 the BBC came to town to film a documentary for the series, 'The British Connection' focusing on the Scottish towns of Clydebank and Kelso. My father was interviewed as one representative of the community. He was in full 'Rasputin' mode at that time, an imposing figure with long hair and beard. First shown on TV in 1978, the programme has been broadcast again in recent years on BBC Alba. Watching it again, I was struck by his eloquence and soft, lilting voice.
Over the years my father’s work largely consisted of repair and restoration work on traditional metalwork, for example gates and railings on the large estates in the local area, but with the occasional highlight of a private or public commission which he was to construct from his own original design. Many of these pieces are featured in the Galleries on this website.
In 1988 Cnihtengild (aka ‘the horse’) came into our lives. It was commissioned by the Standard Life Assurance Company for their office complex in Devonshire Square. For the building of such a tall sculpture, a different workshop was needed and so my parents bought the former Sinclair McGill granary in Abbey Row, Kelso. There, Denys worked on the horse over the next two years, firstly building it in steel to work through the creative process before the final construction in bronze. My father had not worked with bronze before and he found it challenging. People would stop by to see how the sculpture was progressing and on one summer’s afternoon the horse was temporarily rolled out into the street to enable Denys to see it from a distance. In 1990 the horse was due to begin the journey to London. It was taken in pieces on the back of a low-loader and arrived in London coincidentally the day of the resignation of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. Cnightengild had its official unveiling by the Lord Mayor of London on the 21st November. My Mum and I were in attendance and were so proud, although my Dad did cause us a sharp intake of breath by deciding at the last second to depart from his carefully scripted speech and just ad libbed. Fortunately, Denys always had the gift of the gab and spoke very well.
In 1991 my parents left Kelso to live in the village of Nenthorn, 4 miles away. This meant leaving the Ragged School so a new workshop was found on the Newton Don estate nearby. This was where Denys built his next large commission for the main courtyard of Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. This was also to be in bronze and taking the stylised form of hands holding a scalpel. The name of this sculpture was ‘ Hinc sanitas’ ‘From here, health’ which is the College motto. Sadly, this sculpture has recently been replaced by another, although apparently there are plans to return it to the courtyard in another location.
Denys produced a significant body of work throughout this career, and he worked into his late 60’s. He finally retired after Audrey’s death in 2006 and moved permanently to Innellan, in Argyll and Bute, to spend his last years sailing his small classic yacht. He passed away in August 2015, still strong and dynamic but with his life abruptly extinguished by cancer.
This website has been created to showcase Denys’ work in memoriam. It is a tribute, not only to my father but also to my mother, Audrey, who supported him ceaselessly over the years. Her common sense and organisational ability combined with my father’s artistic talent made for a very successful partnership.
You are invited to view an exhibition of Denys' creations in the Galleries pages. These are a representative selection of pieces designed for interior and exterior spaces. There is also a separate gallery dedicated to Cnightengild, his largest work.