In the low hills of northern San Luis Obispo county where the heat is dry, the oak trees are old and the smell of grass and wildflowers permeates the air rests a small workshop and forge. This is where blacksmith artist, Max Randolph, calls home.

At the age of fourteen Max started down his path toward blacksmithing. Beginning with welding and fabricating, he built BBQ pits and utilitarian creations for friends and family, kindling a spark of passion that would follow him through high school and into adulthood. Through intensive study and error, which served to lay the foundation of skills for the blacksmithing trade, Max branched out on his own, following his instinct to move beyond the functional and into the artistry of his chosen craft.

In a day and age when blacksmithing may sound like an archaic past-time Max ignored the conventional wisdom that sought to discourage his endeavors. Max learned that his ancestors, ending with his great-grandfather, Angelo Novo, had been some of the last blacksmiths in the area. In the oldest corner of the Santa Maria cemetery they are buried around a granite anvil, a testament to their trade and impact to their community. Max has added his own unique voice to the cacophony of his ancestral birthright, infusing new life and meaning into his trade.

By the age of twenty-three Max transitioned his metallurgy into art and established his shop, where he lives and works to this day. Here, there is a blend of organization and chaos, tools, drawings, music, three dogs and a cat that all coexist among the clamor of a working forge. Max is a man brimming with energy and fervor, and this is the place where he channels that spirit, allowing his imagination to run wild. The magnitude of creativity and years of self-taught practice bring depth, movement and life force to each piece he creates.

Max’s art continues to evolve as he expands the capabilities and expectations around what it means to be a blacksmith and an artist. This is his journey and his legacy.