When you think of a blacksmith, you might imagine them crafting a mighty five-foot longsword in a searing hot forge - and that's exactly what has been happening at one Oswestry business.
Sarah Mae Francis, 20, a Lancashire-based metal sculpture artist, sought the help of Marc Morris of Morris Blacksmithing in Oswestry to help her make a huge sword for her latest piece - a knight in shining armour.
Sarah met Marc at a show, and on speaking to him knew he could help her turn her idea into a reality.
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The young artist said: “A guy who came to me with an idea of having a knight in shining armour done for his garden.
“He decided not to go ahead with the idea, but I really liked it and wanted to make one anyway.
“The knight will be over seven-foot-tall.”
Sarah’s passion for metal sculptures started at 16, when she saw that her dad, a mechanic, was throwing away all the extra parts he didn’t need.
“I wanted to make something out of it, instead of him taking it to the scrap," she added.
In her spare time the artist loves horse riding, so one of the first sculptures she made was a horse, which she proudly took with her to all the shows.
Sarah also has an Etsy account where she sells her projects.
Marc has run experience days in the past at his workshop, but he never had someone approach him to make something together in the three years he had his business in Maes-Y-Clawdd, Maesbury Road.
“Sarah was fantastic, she was so quick to learn and I just kind of showed her a few things and she got on with it.
“It was a good experience and we bounced off each other.”
Sarah is really excited to finish the project, and to bring it with her to the different shows she attends.
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She said: “A lot of people are more interested in the larger pieces, and I’ve done quite a few life-sized ones.
“They draw more attention than little sculptures."
The young artist is set to return to Marc’s studio in Oswestry at the end of this week, to create a crown for her knight.
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