Painting of LAST BLAST FURNACE AT Port Talbot

Watercolour and colour pencil study of Blast Furnace 4 at Port Talbot, the second to be turned off last year, marking the end of traditional steelmaking at the site.  Tata Steel UK allowed me access to the site for two days in October to interview some of the employees there, and to make portrait sketches as well as audio recordings to try to capture some of the memories and experiences in their own words and voices.  It was almost a month after the no.4 furnace was switched off, but the steam from the gradual cooling process was still clearly visible.  Here I have used a segment of audio from my interview with Wade Christensen, who had worked at the site since 2000, and was the Iron and Burdening Shift Manager.