Damascus Steel Series

"When I created the first of this series, a friend commented on the watery aspects of the painting. He described it as Damascus steel and at that moment, I knew what the series should be called. Since I was a young child, I have been enthralled by the craftsmanship and skills of blacksmiths and steelmakers. Films and literature, like “Conan the Barbarian” and Jean Auels’ “Earthchildren” series dealt with fire and water as catalysts in tool and weapon making. The Damascus Steel series is my vision of that moment of creation, when the fires and the water form the steel and in a sense life itself." - benMUSA