Dr.Sketchy’s Philly presents: IRON SKETCHY’S featuring the wearable creations of Ellen Durkan

Sharpen your pencils and join Philadelphia‘s premier drink & draw for an afternoon of drawing contests and prizes! Posing together as models, Ellen and her returning muse Zoe will showcase Ellen’s otherworldly forged creations for you to draw.

Ellen Durkan is an artist blacksmith from Wilmington, Delaware. She teaches part-time at a college and also runs her own business, Iron Maiden Forge. She creates wearable “Forged Fashion” art, which she presents through performance runway shows in addition to her large-scale drawings. During the summer, she teaches blacksmithing classes at various craft centers, often traveling for workshops, events, and forging demonstrations.

Ellen received her graduate degree in Fine Arts. She discovered her passion for metalworking while in college, and her curiosity and determination have led to the development of her current body of work. Her practice incorporates diverse techniques such as chasing, repousse, and leatherwork to enhance her concepts and skills. Her metalwork began with forged stationary “metal dresses” that framed nude figures. Today, her work continues to be inspired by the human body and is designed to be worn, drawing from both physical and emotional vulnerability. She creates pieces that respond to the complex forms of the figure, each one taking on new presence with a different wearer. Her forged works serve as both decoration and metaphorical armor for the body. The process of forging and forming metal continues to inspire her to build new and challenging creations to be worn.