Liza Mahar

Liza spent her early years in New Hampshire where frequented the White Mountains, riding in a backpack until she could hike on her own. She began making useful things when her grandmother taught her to sew. Now in Portland she still spends her time making, repairing or altering things in trade exchanges, teaching, demonstrating and researching, practicing yoga, and making food.

At the age of fourteen, Liza first took a tool to a piece of metal, and has explored metalwork since. She has practiced blacksmithing at Penland School of Crafts and Haystack Mountain School and in her driveway and garage. Learning to make her own tools opened up the possibility that she can make many of the things she needs, she believes that we should make the things we use and use the things we make.

Liza demonstrates blacksmithing techniques with the Wicked Hardcore Iron Shop using a hand-crank forge. She has taught metalworking techniques to children and teens at Oregon College of Art and Craft and is currently teaching adult metalsmithing classes at Multnomah Art Center.