Alan Drew ~ Artist Blacksmith

Alan first felt the pull towards an artful life when he was 12 years old.  Spending his summers working on the various ranches in Carmel Valley he learned a great variety of Vaquero skills by some of the West's finest men including Bill Dorrance and Bud Vierra.  He learned to farm hay, start colts and care for livestock with skill, braid his own rawhide and even tried his hand at oil painting through the guidance of famed western artist, Jack Swanson.  The Vaquero celebration of horsemanship skills, craftsmanship and style inspired a life long passion.

Captured by the lure of the fading open range, Alan ventured off to Buckaroo at the Ellison Ranching Company's Spanish Ranch in Tuscarora, Nevada. The spring work lasted 3 months. The experiences have lasted a lifetime. Running mustangs on the Owyhee Desert, branding calves in the open sage flats, moving with a cavy of over 90 horses. Every Buckaroo was responsible for shoeing their eight horses and if they needed tools or tack, they often crafted them by hand out of pride and necessity.  Photography by David R. Stoecklein, www.thestoeckleincollection.com

Blacksmithing, Horses, Ranching and studying the history, techniques, tooling and design of metalwork have been the backbone of Alan's career.

Drawing on his experiences, Alan with his partner in Winter Drew Design, Lisa Guthrie, turn their focus to designing and producing Limited Edition Collections of fine metalwork for the home with great attention to design, style and craftsmanship. Alan draws and fabricates each signed and numbered piece by hand. Alan still enjoys the stimulating challenge of custom commissioned works, accepted on a limited basis so the work can have his full attention.