LEHI — Paul Venema was laid off in August by Questar Gas Co. after 32 years with the utility, but he didn't stop there.
That same week, as news of his layoff spread, orders for custom wrought ironwork, long a hobby of Venema's, began pouring in. He found his life taking an unexpected turn, now as an artist in demand.
"When he got laid off, it was such a shock, but the phone starting ringing almost immediately," said his wife, Joan Venema.
One caller was a blacksmith friend who wanted help making ironwork for a large home.
"My first big job was about 50 wall sconces and at least two chandeliers," Paul Venema said. "One went up a stairwell and was 24 feet long."
Questar had a forge for fashioning tools, and it was working at this forge that kindled Venema's interest in blacksmithing. It runs in the family: His great-great-grandfather, Paul Blacky, was a blacksmith in Scotland.
Many people do not know the difference between handmade ironwork and the imported, manufactured product, said Joan Venema. When they buy her husband's creations, "they're getting a better product because it's unique and handmade."
Venema's arms are covered with scars attesting to his work as a blacksmith.
He makes everything from gates, chandeliers and railings to towel bars and other fixtures for the kitchen and bath.
Venema joined the Artists Blacksmiths Association of North America years ago and founded the first chapter in Utah in 1992, called the Bonneville Forge Council.
The group brings a skilled artisan to the state each fall to instruct members in new techniques.
"Some people are willing to pay more for a work of art," said Venema.