ELGIN COUNTY STUDIO TOUR LOCAL ARTIST PROFILE
Linda Pitcher by Peri Hayes Linda Pitcher, owner and operator of The Cottage Forge, is working diligently in her shop. She recalls challenging herself to draw the Looney Tunes characters for her son moons ago, and has continued to broaden the horizon of her already artistic background ever since. In recent years, a medical procedure concluded Linda’s previous profession. Upon which, she recognized her ever-present feelings of being called to weld. Accordingly, prior to COVID-19, Linda enrolled in a St. Thomas-based blacksmithing class which opened up a world of possibilities for her as she embarked on this creative endeavour. In her adulthood, Linda discovered her biological family and learned about their history of working in this field – perhaps contributing to her innate pull toward her favourite medium. As Linda expresses, “I’ve always wanted to be a welder.” Exploring metal work for several years on a self-taught basis, Linda dedicated time to building smokers for her family members. Along the way, she earnestly realized that she could not create in a square box and thereafter evolved her craft. Along with various metals, Linda integrates a range of welding and forging techniques into her creative process: “I feel set apart from other metal workers. My work is unique, up-cycled, and I’m the only one that I know of making metal art like this.” As the local artist cheers, “This is a passion. To create these treasures, I don’t outsource anything; instead, I utilize scraps and enjoy visiting the local junk yard for repurposing materials. I love seeing what I can do and how each piece turns out. I go YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED We install
with the flow, allowing each sculpture to take shape. I can wake up and throw a bunch of things on the table – I will see art in it. I love how the metal heats up orange and melds together, bringing each piece to life.” As Linda also highlights, she operates classes in her property shop. Facilitating two students at a time, Linda provides a pair
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Page 6 Port Stanley Villager • September 2026
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